Request made to discuss exhuming Zakiyya's body for autopsy

Relatives of Zakiyya Moosa, a woman found dead with injuries to her body in Noonu atoll Holhudhoo, have submitted a request to authorities to discuss exhuming her body for an autopsy.

The request was made via letter addressed to Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan and Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef following a virtual autopsy of her body performed in India.

However, this is not the first time the family has raised concerns about her case, as earlier, locals of Holhudhoo and her relatives staged protests demanding justice for Zakiyya, who was found dead outside her kitchen on the morning of September 10, 2024.

Despite police ruling out foul play and suggesting it was suicide, her family insists she would not have had the courage to inflict such serious injuries to herself.

In their letter to Minister Ihusaan and PG Abbas, Zakiyya's family said despite a traditional or virtual autopsy, it was unbelievable that any human could commit suicide by slashing their neck three times on the left side and twice on the right.

They also demanded a review of the third party virtual autopsy already been performed.

The family suggested that police involvement in the investigation poses a conflict of interest due to the way the case has been handled so far, and requested the investigation be handed over to the Human Rights Commission of Maldives.

They said it was worrying that news had been spread that a virtual autopsy had been conducted and that she may have had committed suicide due to mental illness, when the investigations have not concluded and the case has left many locals in distress.

- The family does not believe that an adequate investigation has been conducted to find out the truth behind Zakiyya's death.

- The Home Minister acknowledged that not performing an autopsy was a mistake in the investigation phase.

- Information was provided to media about a virtual autopsy being performed 6 months and 29 days after Zakiyya's death when the agency seemingly did not have an intention of performing an autopsy immediately after her death.

- If a virtual autopsy has been performed, arrange for a copy of the virtual autopsy report to be given to the family. If the report cannot be shared, arrange for the family to be able to review the report at a location and time decided by the ministry or police, in the presence of an expert.

- Clarify when the decision to perform a virtual autopsy was made.

- Clarify whether there was any intention to perform a virtual autopsy, and whether a scan was taken of the body for this specific purpose. - Publish the names of the hospital if Maldives sought the expertise of a doctor abroad or relevant expert and reveal the names, potfolios and dates of consultation if other relevant expertise was sought

- Clarify whether there are scans taken by the police with the specific intention of conducting a virtual autopsy or if it was just based on pictures taken from the scene.

- Clarify whether investigators conducted a forensic or medico-legal autopsy of Zakiyya Moosa and clarify the date such an autopsy was performed if any.

- Share or disclose the information of the medical toxicology report if such a report exists.

- Clarify the actions taken against officers following investigations into them for being negligent in performing an autopsy in the case.

- Share documentation regarding the type of mental illness Zakiyya has been diagnosed with.

According to reports, a virtual autopsy of Zakiyya's body was conducted last month with expert doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)—one of India’s oldest medical research institutions—after a team of police officers traveled there for the procedure.

A virtual autopsy uses tests such as CT scans and MRIs, photographs and videos of the body and the crime scene to determine the cause of death. An autopsy like this also identifies various changes in the body and finds out the cause of the injuries, Mihaaru News reported.

Zakiyya, who is claimed to have also experienced mental health issues at the time of her death, was found dead at around 10:00 am on September 10 near the storage space outside the kitchen of her house.

Some family members and many island residents allege that Zakiyya did not commit suicide, but was murdered. They claim her neck was almost entirely severed from her body - an injury they believe Zakiyya could not have self inflicted.