Fariyash’s death sentence overruled on appeal

Ahmed Fariyash – who was sentenced to death after being convicted in murder of a man eight years ago in a brawl which took place in G. A. Vilingili – walked free on Monday after High Court overruled the death sentence issued against him by Juvenile Court.

Fariyash, who caused a scare in October, 2014 when he escaped from prison with another death row inmate was sentenced to death by Juvenile Court in 2008.

Fariyash was found guilty in murder of Mohamed Shihab from Kanduolhi in G. A. Vilingili during a brawl in July, 2006.

He appealed his sentence last year.

He was released from prison due to insufficient evidence against him, and conflicts in testimonies given by witnesses.

Judge Ali Sameer – who presided over the appeal – said that it couldn’t be proven based on testimony provided by witnesses at earlier trial at Juvenile Court that Fariyash had participated in the brawl. And that none of the other people who participated in the brawl made any mention of his participation.

The judge said that testimony of one of the witnesses couldn’t be considered as he was an escaped convict, while the rest of the witness testimony couldn’t be considered as they gave their statements out of court – thereby denying Fariyash the right to question them.

All judges presiding over the appeal – Judge Sameer, Judge Abdulla Hameed, Judge Abdul Rauf Ismail, Judge Shujau Usman and Judge Abdulla Didi – supported the decision to overrule the death sentence against him.

Three other people have been sentenced to death in Shihab’s murder.