President Abdulla Yameen has decided to reduce the prison sentences of some convicted prisoners doing time for their offenses.
According to the President’s office, President Yameen had made this decision following the commemoration of Maldives 53rd Independence Day.
The sentence reduction will apply for those who are qualified under article 29 of the Clemency act which states that “The President has the discretion on the president’s own initiative without the submission of an appeal to grant pardons for persons sentenced prior to the commencement of the Constitution of 07 August 2008 whose penalties are as follows: Persons serving sentence for an act which was an offence prior to 7th August 2008 but not an offence after that date.”
The President’s office further revealed that they will carry out the sentence reduction under the adequate procedure, after the committee assembled to deal with the matter conducts interviews with the guardians of the convicts and sees them fit for being pardoned under the conditions. However, the office had not revealed what the conditions were.
However, the President also decreed that if a convicted prisoner whose sentence has been pardoned, goes again said conditions, he will return back to prison and has to complete the rest of his sentence as he would have prior to being pardoned.
President’s office added that although prison sentences for convicts sentenced for criminal offenses are to be acquitted, those who are convicted in embezzlement or debt settlement cases will not be pardoned.
The office is yet to reveal details about the amount of convicts the sentence reduction applies for, or for which offenses they are currently doing time. However, they did reveal that those convicted for the offence of murder, offences for which Hadd (punishment) is prescribed under the Islamic Sharia, offence of terrorism, sexual offence against a minor, offence of trafficking in drugs, offence of sexual assault, offence of sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex, will not be pardoned.
