Qasim’s remand extended on verbal request: Hisaan

Jailed Parliamentarian Qasim Ibrahim’s lawyer Hisaan Hussain has stated that Qasim’s remand was extended on a verbal request of the Prosecutor General.

Speaking to press after the hearings on Sunday, Qasim’s lawyer, Hisaan Hussain stated that they had raised four points as their defense. She noted that it was unacceptable that the Judge who had issued the arrest warrant was on the bench and had to make a decision on the validity of the warrant.

Hisaan stressed that it was not the PG Office that had requested for an extension to Qasim’s remand, but rather on request of Police. This, she said, was remarked by state lawyers as well.

“The remand hearings were held against the procedures set in the law, in secrecy. Then the Prosecutor General, in his remarks, himself noted that it was Maldives Police Service that had submitted the form to Criminal Court, requesting to extend Qasim’s remand. No documents were filed by Prosecutor General to Criminal Court, it was just a verbal request,” she said.

Normal procedures dictate that any requests regarding court warrants and remand extensions must be done through a written request. It also common procedure for a Judge to recuse himself from the appeal hearings if he had issued the warrant.

The next date for the hearings had not been announced on Sunday.

Qasim was previously arrested and given a six-day remand. High Court had then released him stating that he was arrested in violation of the Privileges Act. He was released and subsequently arrested on the 20th and set a remand of 15 days.