High Court maintains death sentence for police officer's assailant

The High Court, on Wednesday, upheld the death sentence for Mohamed Samah over the murder of Police Sergeant Adam Haleem.

In January 2013, the Criminal Court sentenced Samah for stabbing Police Sergeant Adam Haleem while the latter was reporting for duty in Kaashidhoo, Kaafu Atoll, in July 2012.

The government submitted the verdict for review as Samah did not appeal his sentence.

Although Samah had initially confessed to the fatal stabbing, he later retracted the statement, asserting that he had confessed under duress.

However, the High Court ruled that the circumstances described by Samah were not considered sufficient to extract a false confession from an individual. As per the court, Samah had cited his detainment for the duration of the investigation as well as being summoned for questioning.

Therefore, the High Court had ruled that Samah's prior confession, made in front of a judge at a court of law, would be considered valid.

Furthermore, the appellate court's verdict highlighted that withdrawing a confession regarding a crime that involved the infringement of another individual's right was not permitted by several scholars of Islamic Jurisprudence.

Overall, the verdict asserted that Samah, who had declined legal representation at court, was accorded all of his constitutionally granted rights.

It was also highlighted that the surviving inheritors of Police Sergeant Adam Haleem support the death sentence.

The judges bench presiding over the case comprised Judges Hussain Shaheed, Shuaib Hussain Zakariyya and Abdul Rauf Ibrahim.

Despite the High Court's decision regarding the matter, the verdict can only be implemented following approval from the Supreme Court. Samah will receive a 30-day period to appeal the verdict before his case is submitted to the apex court.

Reportedly, Samah assaulted Adam Haleem with a knife when the latter attempted to bring him to the police station for violating the terms of house arrest.