High Court to review Adhuham’s death sentence validity

The State has submitted the case of Adhuham Mohamed, who was sentenced to death for the murder of taxi driver Qasim Hassan, to the High Court to confirm the validity of the death sentence.

Qasim Hassan was murdered in December 2019 while driving a taxi in Hulhumalé. Adhuham attacked Qasim with a knife in the neck from the backseat of the taxi during an attempt to rob him. Adhuham was sentenced to death by the Criminal Court in 2023.

The High Court hearing to confirm the validity of the death sentence, submitted by the prosecution, was scheduled for today but was cancelled.

Under Maldivian law, if a person sentenced to death does not file an appeal, the State is obligated to submit the case to the appellate court (High Court) to confirm the validity of the sentence.

In the lower court, Adhuham initially confessed to the crime but later recanted during the trial. However, the court ruled that based on the evidence presented and Adhuham’s own testimony, the charge of intentional murder was proven against him.

It is noted that a death sentence in the Maldives can only be carried out after all appeal stages are exhausted and the sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court. Currently, there are three individuals whose death sentences have been upheld by the Supreme Court. However, the death penalty has not been executed in the Maldives in recent history.