MALDIVES: COURT SENTENCES LANCE CORPORAL ADAM HALEEM’S MURDERER TO DEATH

The Criminal Court in Maldives has found Ahmed Samah of Kaashidhoo guilty of murdering Police Lance Corporal Adam Haleem and sentenced him to death.
The Criminal Court ruling stated that the court had obtained statements from three of the four heirs of Adam Haleem, all of whom who had informed the court that they approved the passing of the death sentence against Samah if the court were to find him guilty.
According to the ruling, the fourth heir of Adam Haleem was his one year-old child, and stated that according to the Hanifee and Maalikee Sects of Islam, the other heirs could approve the death sentence on behalf of the infant.
On July 23 last year, Adam Haleem was stabbed to death by Mohamed Samah at 12:00 am while Haleem was on his way to report for duty.
Recently, Attorney General Azima Shukoor drafted a bill on how the death sentence should be implemented in the Maldives, and proposed using a lethal injection.
The bill is now open for public comments and has not been yet sent to the parliament. Currently there are no laws that state how to execute death sentences – such sentences have traditionally been commuted to 25 year life sentences by presidential decree.
The last person to be judicially executed in the Maldives was Hakim Didi, who was executed by firing squad in 1953 after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder using black magic.