Family of murdered blogger goes to authorities, calling to hold trial publicly

Family of murdered blogger and activist Yameen Rasheed along with Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) have shared their concerns with relevant institutions, over the decision to hold the trial behind closed doors.

Speaking outside the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) afterwards on Thursday, MDN's Executive Director Shahindha Ismail said that their main concern currently is over teh decision to hold the hearings in the trial behind closed doors.

"While an year has passed since Yameen's brutal murder, now we are seeing the trial being held behind closed doors. Not even his family memb

ers know what is going inside the courtroom," she said, adding that some of the comments by government officials, since the murder, 'has been worrying'.

Former Vice President at the HRCM and current Senior Project Cordinator at Transparency Maldives Ahmed Tholal said that various concerning issues had surfaced throughout the investigation of Yameen's murder conducted over an year ago, expressing his doubt that justice will be granted accordingly with the court holding the trials under secrecy.

Tholal also noted that senior officials had spoken in a manner that 'encouraged homicide' after the blogger's murder.

The trial is being held behind closed doors under the request of the Prosecutor General's office.

Yameen's family had on several occasions attempted to request with the Prosecutor General and the Maldives Police Service to hold the trial against his murderers publicly, but their efforts had been in vain as a meeting could not be arranged with the family and senior officials of the police.

Charges have been raised against Ismail Haisham Rasheed and Hussain Ziyad, Ismail Rasheed, Hassan Shifaz, Mohamed Dhifran and Ahmed Zihan Ismail for the brutal murder of blogger Yameen.

Yameen's lifeless body was found with several stab wounds on his chest, neck and throat, in the late hours of the 22nd of April last year inside his residence.