Yemeni national detained over terror allegations passes away

Yaser Yahya, the Yemeni national detained over terror allegations since 2017, has passed away.

Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) confirmed this via a statement on Sunday evening, adding that he passed away at 4:25pm while receiving treatment at Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

While Yahya was admitted at hospital on July 21, authorities said that his condition had deteriorated due to a hunger strike.

MCS added that details of the Yemeni’s death have been shared with Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM), Inspector of Correctional Service as well as his family.

Yaser Yahya, married to a local woman, was arrested over terrorism allegations in March 2017.

The court order authorizing his arrest, based entirely on a police intelligence report, described him as a suspect in recruiting locals to an international terrorist militia.

In January 2019, Home Minister Imran Abdulla described that case against Yahya as a “serious” one. However, he did not reveal any additional details claiming that it could threaten public peace and security.

While authorities had attempted to deport Yahya, he has been refusing to cooperate with authorities.

In a statement released in August 2019, Yahya’s family accused authorities of negligence and inhumane treatment. He had gone on a hunger strike in June that year.

Noting that the strike had caused his health to deteriorate, the family claimed that authorities had not made any attempts to resolve the matter.