Capital punishment in the Maldives

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the Maldives, but the last execution (as of May 2018) was carried out in 1954, when the country was a British colony.

The only legal method of execution is lethal injection, although hanging has been proposed. Crimes punishable by death include murder, adultery, apostasy, terrorism and treason - however the punishment is not mandatory for any crime. The death penalty is a legal punishment for defendants over seven years old.

Currently, it is believed that there are about 17-20 individuals under a sentence of death in the Maldives, 13 of which were sentenced in 2013.[1]

In 2016, convicted murderer Hussain Humaam Ahmed was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in the Maldives, but the execution was postponed following international calls for clemency.[2] In late July, 2017, another execution date was scheduled for Ahmed, and the Maldives stated that they intended to carry out his execution and the executions of two others in September 2017. For unknown reasons, the executions ended up not being carried out.[3] A Maldives government spokesperson stated the delays in executions would be resolved by October 8, 2017.[4] Again, however, the date passed with no executions being carried out.

The Maldives voted against the United Nations moratorium on the death penalty in 2007 and 2008, then voted in favor of the moratorium in 2010, then abstained from voting in 2012 and 2014, and then voted against it again in 2016 and 2018.[5]

In 2018, it was widely reported that the Maldives will bring back the death penalty.[6][7]

References
  1. "The Death Penalty in Maldives". Deathpenaltyworldwide.org. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  2. "Death Penalty News: The Maldives: The 1st execution in 60 years - help stop this". Deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com. 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  3. "Trouble in paradise: Maldives says it will carry out execution- La Croix International". international.la-croix.com. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  4. "Maldives death penalty delays will be resolved by October 8". Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  5. "The Death Penalty in Maldives". www.deathpenaltyworldwide.org. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  6. "Maldives remains UK 'Human Rights Priority Country'". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  7. "European Union warns Maldives of sanctions". Dhaka Tribune. 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
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