High Court once more rules against holding Anas' murder accused in custody

High Court has once again ruled against holding in custody the persons accused of the murder of Mohamed Anas.

In July 2017, Anas was murdered in Litus Service Centre, where he had fled to escape from a group of assailants that were following him.

Seven people were charged in the case. Charges of intentional murder were pressed against Ahmed Zayan, Asurumaage, Lh. Kurendhoo, Afrah Abdul Razzaq, M. Lonumidhilige, and Usman Shareed, M.Dhimishk.

Accomplice to murder charges were pressed against Junaih Abdulla, Nannarige, L. Gan, Thun'di, Simah Moosa, Male' registry no. 1746, Hassan Mahfooz, Western Villa, S. Feydhoo, and Mohamed Shaz, Gulfaamuge, Th. Kimbidhoo.

Seven years after Anas' death, the Criminal Court acquitted all seven, citing insufficient evidence.

The State then appealed the case at the High Court, asking for the seven to be held in remand in custody until the end of trial. However, High Court earlier ruled against holding them in custody. Therefore, the prosecution appealed the case in Supreme Court.

Two of the three Supreme Court judges ruled by majority that the High Court’s decision not to detain the accused was based on reasoning that fell outside the scope of the law. As a result, the Supreme Court ordered the High Court to reconsider the case and issue a new ruling.

High Court yesterday ruled that there was no legal basis to keep the accused in custody until the end of trial. In its decision, the court stated that the State had failed to present sufficient justification for detaining the seven individuals pending trial.

This decision by the High Court was made unanimously by the three judges who presided over the case.

In addition to these seven individuals, a minor was also charged in connection with Anas' murder. The minor was sentenced to 18 years in prison by the High Court for the murder of Anas, which has since been commuted during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.