The United States of America has called on Maldivian authorities to ensure justice for murdered writer Yameen Rasheed.
Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the blogger’s murder.
Noting that Yameen was a “brave and outspoken champion for free speech,” the US Embassy in Sri Lanka via twitter called on authorities ‘to ensure justice for Yameen’ and to find missing journalist Ahmed Rilwan. US High Commissioner to Maldives, Atul Keshap had retweeted the tweet.
One year after the brutal murder of @yaamyn, we honor the memory of this brave and outspoken champion for free speech in #Maldives. We call on authorities to ensure #JusticeForYaamyn and to find @moyameehaa pic.twitter.com/tlgNpR1m5w
— U.S. Embassy Colombo (@USEmbSL) April 23, 2018
Yameen’s body was found on the stairwell of his home on 23rd April 2017, stabbed over 30 times. While six suspects have been arrested over the murder, authorities have chosen to hold the trial behind closed doors. This was received by immense criticism from the public, including the international community.
Also on Monday, British High Commissioner to the Maldives James Dauris said that Yameen was killed for ‘exercising his right to freedom of expression and defending the human rights he stood bravely for,’ adding that ‘justice for Yameen will help Maldives to ensure that this young man did not lose his life in vain’.
It's a year since Yameen Rasheed was tragically murdered in Male, while exercising the #FreedomOfExpression and defending the #humanrights he stood so bravely for. Justice for @yaamyn will help #Maldives to ensure that this young man did not lose his life in vain. https://t.co/9gg7jTXYP0
— James Dauris (@JamesDauris) April 23, 2018
Amnesty International, CIVICUS and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also made statements as the country marks one-year since the tragic and brutal murder, with RSF saying that is the trial in Yameen’s murder case is not opened up, ‘there will inevitably be doubts about the verdict’.