European countries are against death penalty: Foreign Minister

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dhunya Maumoon has said that European countries are generally against the death penalty.

She made this remark after being asked by a reporter at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, whether any discussions have taken place with any foreign country following the decision to implement the death penalty in the Maldives.

“European countries, including the UK, work against death penalty to a great extent. Their argument is that this penalty doesn’t necessarily reduce crime. As I said earlier, this government is based on Islamic principles. Since this is part of Sharia, I can guarantee that the government will think about this matter at length before deciding on how to proceed,” she said.

The Foreign Minister further said, “A bill has been submitted to the parliament, as we also need the parliament’s opinion on this matter. The government will also consider people’s views, and opinions of experts in various sectors before deciding on how to proceed.”

On 23 January, Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer ordered Maldives Correctional Service to make the necessary preparations to implement the death penalty by lethal injection.