Family requests for commission to investigate Zakiyya's death

Sister of Zakiyya Moosa, Aminath Shaziyya, has requested President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to establish a commission to run an inquiry into Zakiyya's death.

Zakiyya was found dead inside her residence in Noonu atoll Holhudhoo with severe wounds to her neck on September 10 last year. Her family maintains that Zakiyya had been killed. Protests are also staged on the island calling for justice.

In a statement released today, Shaziyya called on President Muizzu to establish a commission under the powers vested in him by the Constitution to conduct an inquiry into Police's handling of the investigation into Zakiyya's death.

Police have earlier said that as per their investigation, Zakiyya's death was self inflicted. A police team also went to India, where a virtual autopsy was conducted. They cited the autopsy results as showing Zakiyya died of self inflicted wounds.

Zakiyya's family, however reject these claims, and have previously raised concerns about the veracity of the report of the virtual autopsy, parts of which were shown to them. They have requested for an exhumation to conduct an autopsy. The family also claimed that they did not receive a response to requests sent to the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology seeking a copy of the report and information regarding the investigation.

'Holhudhoo residents are not going to accept whatever the Police says, what is said has to be rational," the statement said.

- The family does not accept that a sufficient investigation has been conducted from the date of the death till now to uncover the truth behind it

- Minister of Homeland Security and Technology has admitted that it was a mistake to proceed with burial before conducting an autopsy, which was an error made during the investigation

- Concerns that 6 months and 29 days after Zakiyya's death, Police had given indirect information to media stating a virtual autopsy had been conducted

- Failure of the police to provide a copy of the virtual autopsy report, or in the instance that the report cannot be shared, failure to allow review of the report with an expert

- Police's failure to reveal whether any scans had been done with the intention of later conducting a virtual autopsy

- Appeal to release with names, qualifications and details any expert opinions sought from abroad, from doctors or other experts

- Whether a forensic or medico-legal autopsy was conducted on Zakiyya by investigative authorities, and if such, an appeal to disclose the date of such a report

- Appeal to share details and report if a medical toxicology report was prepared

- Appeal to reveal action taken to date after conducting an investigation into Police negligence in failing to conduct an autopsy

- Appeal to share documents detailing what conditions were diagnosed in relation to Zakiyya's psychological assessment