Investigative reports from the presidential commission formed by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to investigate unresolved murders and abductions will be disclosed, the President's Office said today.
Chief Spokesperson Heena Waleed told Adhadhu that the Deaths Commission's reports will be disclosed as soon as they are received by the President's Office.
However, it is unclear whether full reports or summaries would be published.
The decision to disclose the reports comes after 12 local and international organizations released a statement on May 14 over purported instructions from the President's Office to the commission to not disclose reports without permission.
The civil society coalition met the Deaths Commission on May 7. The commission informed the groups that it had been ordered to only share findings with the President's Office. The commission said it would not publicly disclose any information.
A senior government official also confirmed to Adhadhu at the time that the President's Office did instruct the commission not to disclose any findings without its permission.
The Deaths Commission said at the time that it would seek approval from the President's Office to publish investigation reports after redacting information for legal reasons.
"Most of the information included in these reports are very sensitive and confidential. The commission's aim is to compile the report with those parts redacted before May 31. The presidential commissions law states that all the reports must be submitted to the President," the commission said in a statement released in response to the statement from the NGOs.
History of the cases
The Deaths Commission previously released a report on the abduction of journalist Ahmed Rilwan. The report included information previously gathered by police. The commission has not released a report on Yameen's murder.
The previous government arrested three suspects in connection with the cases. After they were charged with terrorism and detained for a long period, the Criminal Court dismissed the charges, citing insufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
Minivan News journalist Rilwan was abducted on August 7, 2014. The presidential commission said at a press conference in September 2019 that Rilwan was killed and his body was sunk in the sea by Maldivians who belonged to the terrorist groups ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
Rilwan was killed in the name of religion after the group judged him to be an apostate, the presidential commission said. Rilwan was killed while he was reciting the shahadah [Islamic profession of faith], according to the commission.
Blogger Yameen was killed on April 23, 2017, while he was campaigning for justice over Rilwan's abduction. Two suspects were convicted over his murder.
