Supreme Court readies to announce verdict in Nazaha case

Supreme Court will be announcing the verdict in the case submitted to them appealing for the release of Mariyam Nazaha citing she has served an appropriate sentence.

Nazaha, of H. Baiken'dige, was convicted to 25 years in prison by the Criminal Court in 2011 following her conviction in the murder with a sharp object of her ex-husband, Hassan Shahid of Ma. Edhuruge, in June 2010. She was convicted based on her confession. Even at the time, Nazaha claimed that she had killed him due to persistent violence he had inflicted on her, with the defence saying she was suffering from battered woman syndrome.

In 2015, High Court upheld Criminal Court's verdict against Nazaha. However, she appealed the case at the Supreme Court recently. The registrar initially rejected the appeal, but it was raised by Nazaha at the Judges' Council, at which point the case was accepted.

Supreme Court concluded hearings in the case in September 2022. They have now scheduled the announcing of the verdict in the case for February 13. The case is being heard by Chief Justice Ahmed Muththasim Adnan, Judge Dr Azmiralda Zahir, Judge Aisha Shujune Mohamed, Judge Ali Rasheed Hussain and Judge Dr Mohamed Ibrahim.

Nazaha, who was then working as a gym instructor, previously said in court that Shahid had been killed in what she intended to be an attack in self defence to protect herself from domestic violence. She had reported the matter to police and confessed during the investigation.

Nazaha did not receive the death penalty as Shahid's mother and family did not request for it.

At the time of Shahid's death, the couple's child was two years of age. Nazaha said in court that she had decided to appeal the case after so many years because the now teenaged child had assured they would persist through the criticisms that may arise with the case. She said that her child, too, wishes for her freedom.