UN orders Maldives to hold off Humam’s execution

United Nations has ordered Maldives to hold off execution of murder convict Hussain Humam.

UN issued the order after Humam’s father sent a letter to UN Human Rights Committee on Monday.

Maldives has been given 6 months to provide an answer for the issues raised by Humam’s family.

Humam’s defense attorney Abdulla Haseen said that such an organization took such immediate action because of the points made by Humam’s family in the letter.

The letter sent to UN Human Rights Committee said that Humam’s trial had been held in violation of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Humam had no psychological evaluation done on him despite requests by his family, his murder confession was made under duress and no investigation had been carried out to determine if he was threatened, and that he had not been allowed to have witnesses speak in his defense.

“This is great progress. They have decided that points we made are acceptable. We can win this,” said Haseen.

Humam was sentenced to death in the murder of lawmaker and Islamic scholar Dr. Afrasheem Ali.

He lost the last stage of appeal when Supreme Court ruled to uphold the death sentence against him and execute him, on June 24.

Afrasheem’s family had tried to submit a letter asking Supreme Court to delay Humam’s execution until the investigation was complete, but it was not accepted as it was off-office hours.