Chosen convicts shall be released, whether families accept them or not, says Home Ministry

While families of some to-be-released convicts have expressed their hesitation and rejection to accept their family members back from prison and exile, the Ministry of Home Affairs today said that they would anyhow be released and sent back to the community as planned.

400 convicted criminals who have been serving sentences in prison and exile have been set for reprieve following a decision by President Mohamed Nasheed to give them a second chance to come back to the society and start living as law-abiding and dutiful citizens. The government has assured that the reprieve would be called back, and convicts would be put back under sentences if they fail to meet the conditions of release. The conditions are that they should keep a clean record for a period of three years and to participate in rehabilitation programs conducted by the government during the period. If they fulfill the conditions, their pardon would be complete.

The Ministry of Home Affairs today said that families of some of the convicts had communicated their reluctance to accept them back.

Speaking to the press at the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services, Minister of State for Home Affairs Mohamed “Monaza” Naeem said today that convicts whose families reject them back would be provided with accommodation facilities by the government. He expressed hope that their families would someday take them back “after they become dutiful citizens”.

Naeem said that persons convicted of drug offences, minor theft cases and cheque-bounce cases would include among others in the group of 400 convicts to be released on pardon.

Naeem also said that special programs had already been conducted for the pardoned convicts, and that assessments were being made as to their knowledge of religious issues. He said that they would be released in batches, and that the first batch would be released around 10th of this month.