Bench of judges overseeing Imran case disassembled

Chief Justice of Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed has disassembled the bench of judges overseeing terrorism trial against Adhaalath Party leader Imran Abdulla.

There were three judges overseeing the case; Judge Abdul Baaree Yoosuf, Judge Abdulla Nasheed and Judge Ahmed Sameer Abdul Aziz. Judge Abdulla Mohamed disassembled the bench on Sunday and ordered that only Judge Abdul Baaree Yoosuf oversee the case.

The reason behind the decision is not immediately clear.

During Sunday’s hearing, state prosecutors presented two videos as evidence; the first taken of Imran’s speech near Social Center during opposition rally on May 1, 2015.

State prosecutors focused on seven things from the video. Imran had said during the rally to “remain steadfast until we make a different stand” which State prosecutor said was a warning to what happened next.

State prosecutor next said that Imran saying the only option for President Abdulla Yameen was to sit down and hold discussions with political leaders was a verbal threat against President.

She also said that Imran accusing former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor and former Commissioner of Police Hussein Waheed of being behind the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan and brutal murder of politician Dr. Afrasheem Ali was slander.

Imran’s attorney Husnu Suood said that advising and speaking out against politicians did not fall under the clause in Anti-Terrorism Act that Imran has been charged with, and that an individual could not be prosecuted based on the emotion behind his/her speech.

Judge Baaree asked Imran what he had meant by “until we make a different stand” to which Imran replied that it had been planned that the rally would be continued after Maqrib prayers based on “green signal” from President Yameen that he would meet the citizens that night.

He said that he had not called for harm to anyone, either in the rally that day or ever.

Judge Baaree said that Imran gave political answers to questions he was asked, and that he could not get a straight answer from him.

Addressing some of what Imran’s attorney Ali Zahir said during the hearing, Judge Baaree said that educated people were trying to mislead and manipulate the situation, and asked that no one try to mislead anyone during the hearing.

Husnu Suood said that Judge Baaree was being sarcastic, to which Judge Baaree asked why so. Husnu Suood replied that he made the comment based on his “tone”.

Husnu Suood was made to apologize for his comment.

Next hearing on the case will be held on Monday. The time is yet to be announced.