Maldives
Foreign Nationals and the Death Penalty
Death Penalty Overview
The Maldives, a country made up of 185
islands in the Indian Ocean, of cially has the
death penalty, although they have not
executed anyone since 1953. Despite being
de facto abolitionist, the Maldives continues
to sentence individuals to death, and an
estimated 20 prisoners are currently being
held on death row. Furthermore, the Maldives
continue to vote against the UNGA
moratorium on the death penalty, most
recently in 2022, and numerous human rights
violations in the Maldives connected with the
death penalty persist (The World Coalition
Against the Death Penalty 2019).
The death penalty can be implemented in
law for a number of offences, including
murder, treason and certain terrorist acts,
among others. Several politicians, including
presidential candidates have voiced support
for harsher drug laws in the country,
mirroring the ‘Singapore model’, which
allows for the death penalty for drug
offences.
The imposition of the death penalty in the
Maldives is not mandatory for any crime, with
courts having discretion to impose a death
sentence even under Shariah law. Unlike in
other majority Muslim nations, whilst the
heirs of the victim may be sought for a
determination of whether or not they wish for
a retributive death penalty or pardon, the
Supreme Court holds the nal say on issuing
the sentence.
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
In 2016, the country came under re from
human rights groups such as Amnesty
International when then president Abdulla
Yameen announced that the Maldives were
planning to resume executions. He
referenced rising murder-rates and an
increase in drug traf cking as justi cation for
the end to a 60-year moratorium on
executions (Aneez 2017). Mohamed Hussain