President dissolves Presidential Commission on Deaths and Disappearances

The Presidential Commission on Deaths and Disappearances (DDCom) has been dissolved, effective today.

The Commission was initially formed in 2018 by then President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih with a mandate to independently investigate unresolved murders, enforced disappearances, and abductions between January 1, 2012, and November 17, 2018.

Although at its formation, the government stated that the commission's work would be completed within a duration of two years, the cases remained unresolved to date.

With President Dr Mohamed Muizzu assuming office last November, family of victims in cases being investigated by DDCom appealed to him for an extension of the commission's duration. The President duly arranged for DDCom to have until the end of May to complete their investigations.

The resolution dissolving DDCom signed by the President today states that the commission had completed the work mandated to it.

Last month, a collaborative call for the DDCom to release its findings publicly, even if a redacted version, and with the families of victims was sent out by many civil society organizations.

DDCom responded that they would be presenting investigative reports and suggestions to the President's Office ahead of their dissolution, with recommendations to make the findings public to the extent possible.

Cases that were being investigated by DDCom include the murder of MP and religious scholar Afrasheem Ali, the enforced disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan, and blogger and Human Rights Defender Yameen Rasheed.

The commission investigated 27 cases, assisted by international experts including the FBI and Western Australia Police.