The family of Abdullah Rasheed Mohamed, who passed away four months ago whilst serving his sentence, has stated that they are still without any answers or justification for his death in custody.
Abdullah Rasheed Mohamed, 51, from capital Male was convicted of assaulting a law enforcement officer during a major opposition rally on May 1, 2015, and was serving a five-year sentence. He passed away on October 10, 2017 after he was brought to Male to be treated for internal medical complications at the state-run Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
His family had accused the Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) of negligence, for not providing prompt and sufficient medical attention. The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), the National Integrity Commission (NIC), and Maldives Police Service had begun investigating the death of the May Day protestor who passed away suddenly.
The detainee’s wife, Shehenaz Abdullah, stated that none of the relevant authorities have so far provided any answers for her husband’s death. She added that she did not believe that justice would be served in this government.
Mohamed’s family, as well as his cellmates, had claimed that he was denied proper medical treatment in prison, despite him requesting to see a doctor several times.
MCS had refuted these claims as untrue and baseless.