Commission completes investigation into 2016 death of Maafushi Prison inmate

Presidential Commission on Disappearances and Deaths has announced it has completed its investigation into the 2016 death of Maafushi Prison inmate Hussain Zareer and forwarded the case for negligence charges.

Hussain Zareer from Blue Heaven, Dh. Vaanee, was found dead on November 8, 2016. He had been in kept detained at Maafushi Prison pending the outcome of a criminal trial. Total six inmates at Maafushi Prison, including Zareer, had died under questionable circumstances in 2016.

The presidential commissions legislature which was ratified by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on June 24 empowers the Commission on Disappearances and Deaths as an investigative agency and also with the authority to file criminal charges in connection to its investigations.

The commission announced the completion of its investigation into Zareer’s death in a tweet this Wednesday.

“From among this commission’s investigations, the commission has completed the investigation into the death of Hussain Zareer, Blue Heaven, Dh. Vaanee, and sent into the Maldives Police Service for charges against the parties found negligent in connection to the case,” announced the commission.

Chairperson of Commission on Disappearances and Deaths, Husnu Al Suood reported to Sun this Wednesday that the commission forwarded the case not to the Prosecutor General’s Office but the Maldives Police Service because the case had already been investigated by the police.

He said the commission had therefore requested the police to incorporate the commission’s finding into its investigations, and forward it to the PG’s Office for charges.

“As per the Criminal Procedure Code, the request for charges in this case needs to be made by the police,” said Suood.

The Commission on Disappearances and Deaths had been established by President Solih in his first day in office in order to deliver his electoral pledge of investigations into all unresolved cases of enforced disappearances, murders, and suspicious deaths.