Allegations of torture against three men accused of kidnapping Rilwan

Individuals accused of partaking in the kidnapping of Minivan News Journalist, Ahmed Rilwan, say that they were being tortured while imprisoned.

During the proceedings of the first preliminary hearings for Rilwan case, Ismail Abdul Raheem (Isoo), Ahmed Muaz (Gatu Mua) and Ahmed Ismail (Ahandhu) claimed that they suffered extreme mental torture during solitary confinement.

In response, the public prosecutor at the hearing said that they had not requested measures such as solitary confinement and will have to communicate with Maldives Correctional Service to provide an explanation to the court.

Given that the accused parties were imprisoned until the proceedings concluded, all individuals have pleaded with the court to review their terms of imprisonment. To which, the court concluded that a separate hearing was necessary to review the terms of imprisonment. The hearing is to be held within the last two weeks of September.

Substantive questioning and response to accusations are scheduled for the next hearing.

Even though, the prosecutor had moved for a secret trial highlighting the sensitivity of the case and evidence that will be presented during the proceedings. The state claims that the information may affect the ongoing investigation and has the potential to put others’ lives at risk. The court deferred to further discuss the matter and notify all involved parties prior to the next hearing.

Although the individuals arrested in the case have been portrayed in mass media as the masterminds behind the kidnapping of Rilwan, TMJ has learned upon speaking to the defense lawyers that the crimes highlighted by the Death Commission were completely unrelated to the the case at hand. Moreover, they were minute crimes, which, the commission’s mandate did not include.

In addition, according to the documents acquired by TMJ, the evidence against the accused persists of testimonies of secret witnesses stating “hearsay”, tweets by liberals, and a report written by the Death Commission detailing their findings during the investigation.

The lawyers also told TMJ, the sole reason for raising the charges was political. They went on to explain that bringing the perpetrators of the Rilwan case to justice was a presidential promise and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih faced immense pressure from the family of the victim for his inaction. The lawyers also indicated that this was a ploy to campaign for the upcoming 2023 presidential elections.

Rilwan’s sister had previously stated on live television that the President came to presidency by using Rilwan’s name as a political weapon and that the government has thoroughly failed in bringing justice to the victims, Rilwan and Yaamin Rasheed, who was brutally murdered.

Rilwan’s father has also condemned the government recently in an interview given to Channel 13, saying that MDP has used the name of his son for political advancement.