The Commission on Disappearances and Deaths (DDcom) revealed more details on the death of the disappeared journalist Ahmed Rilwan in a press conference held at the President's Office on Thursday evening.
The commission's final report on Rilwan's case was presented to the President yesterday, eight years after his disappearance. The commission briefed the media after handing over the report.
Fareesha Abdulla, the president of DDcom, revealed that the journalist was kidnapped, decapitated, and that his body was dumped into the sea. She also said that the six suspects behind the brutal murder had fled to join the Syrian civil war.
She said that Rilwan’s death was premeditated and that the suspects kidnapped him as he was about to enter his apartment building.
“He was forced in to a red car, then put on a dinghy, and then taken aboard a [yellowfin tuna] fishing vessel,” she said, adding that the suspects had recited Shahadat before decapitating him and disposing of his body into the sea.
The commission revealed that religious extremists and members of prominent gangs in the Maldives were on-board the vessel when the incident took place. They did not divulge the number of people involved in his death; however, the commission named the six people who fled to Syria after Rilwan’s murder. They are:
1. Azlif Rauf, from Malé
2. Mohamed Hameed, from Hithadhoo, Addu City
3. Mohamed Suaid, from Hulhudhoo, Addu City
4. Ismail Sabeeh, from Fuvahmulah
5. Ibrahim Solah, from Haa Alifu atoll Dhidhoo
6. Mohamed Munaz, from Thaa atoll Omadhoo
While it was reported that all these suspects died while fighting in Syria, no official documents confirming their deaths have been filed with the Maldivian authorities, Fareesha said.
In addition to these suspects, three other men were arrested and charged with Rilwan’s disappearance. They are:
1. Ahmed Ismail, from Malé
2. Ismail Abdul-Raheem, from Malé
3. Ahmed Muaz, from Malé
The report also confirmed that Rilwan was forcibly disappeared after being harassed and threatened by religious extremists for his social media posts and work as a journalist at Maldives Independent (Minivan News).
- Rilwan was questioned by the suspects about his Twitter handle “moyameehaa”.
- Ahmed Muaz told police intelligence that they had “identified” an individual who was disparaging Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
- Rilwan received threats from the Maldivians who were already in Syria because of his work as a journalist.
- There is a connection between the people who were actively involved in Rilwan’s death and those that fled to Syria.
- Ismail Abdul-Rahman, Mohamed Suaid and Mohamed Hameed had been tailing Rilwan before kidnapping him.
- On the night of his disappearance, Suaid and Hameed were seen tailing Rilwan from Malé from 10:00 P.M. onwards.
- Rilwan was kidnapped at around 1:45 A.M., in front of his apartment building in Hulhumalé.
- Two individuals forced Rilwan into a red car; there were three people inside the car; three others were in the vicinity around the time he was kidnapped.
- Prior to the incident, the red car in question was driven in Malé; it was taken to Hulhumalé for the purpose of disappearing him.
- The DNA evidence found in the car matched Rilwan’s mother; his family confirmed that no member of the family was ever in that car.
Commission member Misbah Abdullah said that the perpetrators made several attempts to hide the evidence. He said that the fibreglass on the fishing vessel was renewed several times.
The perpetrators also tried to build narratives around Rilwan’s disappearance. According to the DDcom members, they attempted to make a copy of his passport and make it appear as if he fled to Syria. The suspects who were already in Syria contributed to this narrative, the members revealed.
The report also confirmed that those involved in Rilwan's murder had threatened others, claiming that they would "suffer the same fate as Rilwan did."
Throughout his disappearance, there have been rumours alleging what was stated in the commission’s report; however, these details were never officially confirmed.
Rilwan disappeared on 8 August, 2014. He was 28-years-old at the time.
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