Attorney says High Court was unjust in upholding Nabeel’s death sentence

Defense attorney for Mohamed Nabeel (G. Reef) said that High Court was unjust in upholding the death sentence issued for his client – during the appeal hearing at Supreme Court on Thursday.

Nabeel was sentenced to death by Juvenile Court in 2010, for the murder of Abdulla Farhad (Lilymaage, S. Hulhudhoo) on March 8, 2009.

The death sentence was upheld by High Court upon appeal.

State prosecution sent the case to Supreme Court, to ensure that High Court’s ruling is valid.

It was during the second appeal hearing held at Supreme Court on Thursday that Nabeel’s defense attorney made the statement that his client was treated unjustly.

The attorney raised issues that were expressed during appeal at High Court as well.

He said that Nabeel had been denied his request for an attorney during investigative state of the case, that he had been coerced into signing his statement, and doubts regarding the honesty of state witnesses who testified in the case.

The attorney also noted that Nabeel’s father had been questioned during the trial by state prosecutors. Though he had only gone to court as a parent escorting Nabeel’s younger sister Aminath Niuma – who testified at court.

The judges granted state prosecution more time to prepare their response to the defense attorney’s points.

The case is presided over by Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, and Supreme Court judges – Judge Ali Hameed Mohamed, Judge Abduulla Areef, Judge Adam Mohamed Abdulla and Judge Ahmed Abdulla Didi.

The original Juvenile Court verdict on the case reads that Nabeel – along with a group of other people had dragged Farhad who had been walking down Majeedhi Magu – near Nalahiya Hotel – to UN Park located nearby.

They had then asked Farhad if he had harassed Nabeel’s sister Niuma – which was denied by Farhad.

Farhad and the other individuals proceeded to beat Farhad up.

Farhad made an attempt to flee, but was stabbed in the back with a box cutter that Nabeel threw, just as he was running away.

The ruling says that doctor’s report of Farhad’s death states the wound on his back as the cause of death.

Ali Razeen (M. Blue Lake) and Ibrahim Naufal (M. Rey Alivaage) was also charged with murder. But Juvenile Court ruled that prosecution had been unable to prove that they were responsible for the murder – sentencing both to four years in prison for lesser charge of disturbing public peace.