Trial halted as Nishan and Fazloon case under review

The Criminal Court has decided to temporarily halt the trials of Sheikhs Fazloon Mohamed and Adam Nishan as they have submitted their cases for review by the Prosecutor General's Office.

Fazloon and Nishan are being charged with supporting an act of terrorism for being involved in an altercation at the Galolhu National Stadium aiming to disrupt a yoga event which was being held there.

The two appealed for the Prosecutor General's Office to review the charges against them when Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef announced the office will be accepting requests for review after he was first appointed.

In today's hearing of the case at the Criminal Court, the defence requested for the trial to be halted until the review is complete. The State did not raise any objections to this.

The Judge then announced his decision to halt the trial.

Nishan and Fazloon were arrested for creating an altercation at the National Stadium in 2022 when an International Yoga Day event was being held there. At the time, their licenses to deliver religious sermons were also suspended. This government has since lifted these suspensions.

An additional sixteen individuals were charged in relation to the same altercation. These trials are also being heard at the Criminal Court. Those being charged include MP for Vilimale' Mohamed Ismail as well.