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Dr Niyaf's testimony: Nasheed was covered in blood, even his pulse stopped

in today's hearing in the trial on the attack against former President Mohamed Nasheed, Dr Abdulla Niyaf of ADK Hospital delivered his statement today.

Mariyath Mohamed
28 November 2024, MVT 16:43
Mariyath Mohamed
28 November 2024, MVT 16:43

in today's hearing in the trial on the attack against former President Mohamed Nasheed, Dr Abdulla Niyaf of ADK Hospital delivered his statement today.

In his statement, Dr Niyaf said that when Nasheed had been brought to ADK Hospital for treatment after the incident, he had been covered in large amounts of blood, and said Nasheed's pulse had stopped for a moment while under treatment.

Nasheed had been the victim of an IED attack while he was walking to his car from his personal residence Kenereege in May 2021. He sustained serious injuries in the incident. He had had to under a sixteen hour life saving surgery at ADK Hospital at the time to take out razor pellets and other objects used in the IED that had pierced into his organs during the explosion.

Today's hearing was part of the trial against six individuals being charged in the case.

As the doctor who prepared the medical report regarding Nasheed's injuries, Dr Niyaf presented his testimony in court today. In his statement, he provided details of the injuries sustained, as well as the treatments and surgeries that had to conducted as a result.

Niyaf said that when Nasheed was brought to the emergency room, there was a large amount of blood seeped into half of his shirt and pants. There were multiple wounds across the body from which he continued to bleed at the time, he said. The shirt had holes and tears in it. All this led him to initially assume it had been the victim of a knife attack.

The doctor said that despite these extensive injuries, Nasheed remained conscious and was speaking. He shared that he was in severe pain, Niyaf said.

With the existing threat of a further attack being attempted on Nasheed, and for the safety of other patients in the emergency room at the time, Nasheed was transferred to a theater in a higher storey of the hospital building, Niyaf revealed.

Attack on mohamed nasheed

There, Nasheed underwent multiple surgeries, the doctor said. A CT scan revealed several metal objects inside Nasheed's body, which could pose a threat to life. As a result, a surgery was immediately undertaken. A total of 10 razor pellets and pieces of plastic were removed from inside Nasheed's body through the surgery, Niyaf said.

He went on to share details of injuries sustained by Nasheed in the attack:

- Nasheed's left lung had collapsed, with razor pellets penetrating his ribs and entering his lungs. A surgery was done to remove the pellets that penetrated his lungs and to sew up the wounds

- Razor pellets had shot through his intestines, with the bleeding not being stemmed, surgery had to be expedited. Razor pellets also had to be removed from two places in the thigh, as well as two lodged in the bone, one near the knee

- Wounds on the arms were cleaned and sutured, plastic pieces were removed, blood vessels repaired. A razor pellet lodged near the skill also had to be removed and the area stitched

- A razor pellet had gone through the liver and entered the main artery, which doctors spent a lot of time to retrieve

- Nasheed was transferred to the cathlab, where using the procedure to remove stones from persons was used to remove razor pellets from Nasheed's groin area

Niyaf highlighted that the razor pellet being in the main artery posed high risk to life, adding that it was during efforts to remove this that Nasheed's pulse had momentarily stopped. However, with CPR and efforts from doctors, he was revived.

None of the defendants raised any questions in response to Niyaf's testimony. Defence lawyers stated that they do not contest that Nasheed had been injured in the day's events. Hence, they have no objections even if the State does not present witnesses to prove the injuries sustained that day, they said.

The State has submitted 11 witnesses in the case, including many doctors who treated Nasheed for his injuries. Judge Sofwath Habeeb said today that if the defence does not want to question the State's witnesses, then that saves time.

The Judge said that if all the proposed witnesses are to be presented in court, then the case would not be concluded even in the next two years. He said that as the defence has stated that there is no need to present witnesses regarding injuries sustained by Nasheed, then there would not be the need to hold 15 hearings, and time would be saved.

The Judge asked the defence to clearly list in the next hearing the remaining witnesses on the States list whose testimony they have no objection against.

In the attack on Nasheed, the State is pressing terrorism charges against Mujaz Ahmed, Ma. Feyruge, Thahumeen Ahmed, Folheyma, Gaafu Alif atoll Kon'dey, Ali Haisham, Nooreege, Noonu atoll Manadhoo, Fahmy Ali, Hudhuruvaage, Gaafu Alif atoll Vilin'gili, and Mohamed Nazim, Asareege, Alif Alif atoll Maalhos.

Ahmed Adhham, charged with being physically involved in detonating the IED, has previously been sentenced to 23 years in prison by the Criminal Court.

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