Shaheem earlier said all legal frameworks regarding death penalty were finalized; Pres. announces on Monday that process is starting from scratch
Dr. Shaheem has previously stated that by the end of President Yameen's administration, all necessary preparations and regulations for implementing the death penalty had been finalized, with all relevant procedures officially approved by the Cabinet.
Just two days after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu stated there were no indications of an impending rise in fuel prices, the cost of fuel in the Maldivian market has surged to record levels. | President's Office | President's Office
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the Attorney General's Office is currently drafting a bill concerning the implementation of the death penalty, stating that executions will commence once the legislation is ratified.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the President stated that a sitting president does not have the right to withhold the implementation of the death penalty for those sentenced to it. He noted that there are individuals whose death sentences have already reached finality through all stages of the legal process. The President further highlighted that recent legislative amendments have also paved the way for the death penalty to be applied in drug-related offenses.
The President stated that the implementation of the death penalty must be legally ensured, noting that no specific legislation governing the process has been enacted to date.
Therefore, to carry out the death penalty, it is essential to streamline and establish a definitive legal framework. To date, no such specific legislation exists to govern the implementation of this process.President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu
The President stated that the death penalty cannot be implemented through mere regulations or procedures alone. Consequently, the Attorney General's Office is currently drafting a specialized bill to govern the implementation of capital punishment. The President further noted that the bill will be submitted to Parliament during its current session. He affirmed that once the legislation is ratified, the government will proceed with the implementation of the death penalty.
The President further stated that this is a necessary step toward establishing justice within an Islamic nation.
Despite the President's assertion that a legal framework for the death penalty does not exist, a regulation concerning the implementation of capital punishment was established in 2015 during former President Abdulla Yameen’s administration. This regulation mandated that the death penalty be carried out either by hanging or by lethal injection. However, despite the decision to authorize execution via hanging or lethal injection at that time, the penalty was never actually carried out.
At that time, a specialized chamber was constructed on K. Doonidhoo, and the necessary equipment for the facility was also procured.
Furthermore, Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, who served as the Islamic Minister during that administration and holds the same portfolio in the current government, has previously stated that all preparations and regulations for implementing the death penalty were finalized by the end of President Yameen’s term. He noted that all relevant procedures had also received cabinet approval at that time.
By the end of the previous administration, all necessary preparations and regulations for implementing the death penalty in the Maldives had been finalized. The entire framework and its governing principles had also received formal cabinet approval. This was one of the primary reasons why foreign powers sought to overthrow the government.
The death penalty has not been implemented in the Maldives since the administration of Sumuvvul Ameer Mohamed Amin.
