Parliament accepts Extradition Bill

The parliament has accepted the Extradition Bill, regarding the transfer of criminals in the Maldives to other countries (in which the crimes were committed), and criminals in other countries to Maldives.

Presenting the bill to the parliament, Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed said that the purpose of the bill is to establish policies on extradition. He said that the bill describes the types of crimes to which extradition apply for foreign criminals who are in the Maldives, policies on criminals transiting in the Maldives while being transferred from one country to another, and policies on the extradition of criminals who are abroad and wanted for crimes in the Maldives.

The bill states that criminals can only be extradited for the purpose of prosecution following a crime; and if the prosecution had been completed and the suspect had been convicted but no sentence was given, to give a sentence; and if a sentence had been given, to execute the sentence.

The bill describes the crimes to which extradition apply in relation to foreign criminals who are in the Maldives. A foreigner can be taken to the country in which the crime was committed, only if the sentence for the crime at hand in the respective country does not exceed a period of one year. If the crime was committed in the Maldives, for the extradition law to apply, the sentence for the crime under Maldivian laws should be at least one year.

During the debate on the bill, MPs stressed the importance of finalising this bill as soon as possible. They noted that the bill gives great powers to the Prosecutor General, which should not be the case, and argued that powers related to extradition should be vested with the Attorney General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The bill was accepted by the parliament with 54 votes in favour. The debate process was completed today, and the bill was sent to the National Security Committee for further review.