UN rights experts call for Maldives to hold off executing Humam

Four United Nations human rights experts, on Friday, urged Maldivian government to halt the execution of Hussain Humam Ahmed – sentenced to death in the murder of popular religious scholar and lawmaker Dr. Afrasheem Ali, back in 2012.

The four UN human rights experts who called for Maldivian government to halt Humam’s execution and re-try him in compliance with international standards are:

1. Sètondji Roland Adjovi, Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

2. Christof Heyns, Special Rapporteur on summary or arbitrary executions

3. Juan E. Méndez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

4. Mónica Pinto, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers

They said in a statement that Humam wasn’t given a fair trial.

“The implementation of a death sentence following judicial procedures which do not respect the most stringent guarantees of fair trial and due process is unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution,” read their statement.

Humam lost the last stage of appeal when Supreme Court upheld his death sentence on June 24.

The UN experts said that Supreme Court had made their decision while the murder investigation was still undergoing, and that it was based on a pre-trial confession obtained under duress.

They said that Humam’s defense rights were disrespected when the courts decided to disregard the defense’s claim that he had a psycho-social or intellectual disability, rejecting the request for an independent evaluation of his mental health status.

They also noted that Supreme Court had refused to accept the letter sent by Afrasheem’s family saying they did not wish for Humam to be executed under Qisas process until the investigation was complete.

“These procedures contravene international standards of fair trial and due process, as well as Article 52 of the Maldivian Constitution, which provides that ‘No confession shall be admissible in evidence unless made in court by an accused who is in a sound state of mind,’” said the rights experts.

In addition to calling out for Maldivian government to halt Humam’s execution and re-try him in compliance with international standards, the experts also called for authorities to uphold the moratorium on capital punishment which has been in force in Maldives for more than 60 years.