Former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Suood has said it is not the right approach to impose the death penalty on drug traffickers.
In a post on social media X, Suood wrote that the amendment to the Drugs Act is a major policy shift towards the drug issue.
"I don't believe this is the best approach," he stated.
Suood added that corruption is as deadly as drugs.
Previously, the maximum penalty for drug traffickers was life imprisonment (25 years in jail). With the amendment, they can be sentenced to death in three cases if the Supreme Court bench unanimously issues a verdict.
Circumstances in which the death penalty is imposed
- Trafficking in cannabis in excess of 350 grams
- Trafficking in more than 250 grams of diamorphine
- Trafficking in more than 100 grams of a Schedule 1 drug
There are 139 drugs listed under Schedule 1. The bill states that traffickers caught with any of these drugs exceeding 100 grams will be sentenced to death.
Drug traffickers facing life imprisonment will not be eligible for parole. It also states that a plea agreement cannot be made with the Prosecutor General's (PG) Office.
The law gives the PG Office the power to advise and withdraw cases against first-time drug users.
The government claims that it will solve the drug problem by reviewing the drug law and imposing harsher penalties.
The death penalty has not been carried out in the Maldives since 1954. There are four people on death row currently.
Former President Abdulla Yameen ended the moratorium on the death penalty, but his successor, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was against the policy.
