Abdullah Zuhair, the convicted murderer of Azlina, found dead

Abdullah Zuhair, who was convicted of brutally murdering Azlina Naseer 21 years ago at the Chamber of Commerce office in Malé, has been found dead.

He was discovered on a "joali" (a traditional rope chair) near the beach on the northern side of Kaafu atoll, Dhiffushi, where he lived.

Reportedly, police officers from Malé are currently on their way to the island to investigate his death.

According to the Maldives Police Service, the island residents discovered an unconscious man on the beach at around 12:20 p.m. on Sunday and took him to the health centre; the hospital declared that he was already dead. While the police did not confirm his identity, they did reveal that it was a 48-year-old man.

They have not revealed any further information.

Azlina worked as a Chamber of Commerce secretary. She was found brutally murdered with multiple stab wounds in a bathroom in the office on April 5, 2001.

Zuhair was charged with the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002. He was released 11 years later, in 2013. He worked as a taxi driver in Malé for a while before moving to Dhiffushi and marrying someone from the island.

Azlina’s murder was heavily publicised since homicides were not common in the Maldives at the time. The brutality of her murder shocked the public.