Man charged over partaking in a foreign war

A man has been charged with fighting in a war taking place overseas, a criminal offense under Maldivian law.

The man charged with the offense is Ahmed Naiz from M. Merry Lodgee in Male’ City. His hearing was held at Criminal Court at 11 am this Thursday morning behind closed doors.

The case against Naiz was filed with Criminal Court on January 10. But the country where he was found guilty of partaking in a war is unclear at this point.

There has been a recent spike in Maldivians travelling to foreign countries to join militant groups. Some of them have been reported dead amid the civil war in Syria.

Trials against an additional four people charged with partaking in a foreign war are ongoing in Criminal Court; three of them for joining militant groups in Syria, and one for years of involvement with a militant group in Pakistan.