Supreme Court overturns order to delay executions

Supreme Court, on Sunday night, overturned the order issued by High Court hours earlier to delay implementation of death penalty.

Supreme Court issued the order Sunday night that there was no legal or judicial basis upon which any court in the country can challenge the constitutional power of the regulation on implementation of the death penalty.

Supreme Court said that the High Court challenging the regulation, accepting such a petition and stopping part of the regulation from being implemented – void.

Supreme Court declared the High Court order “void in its own nature, and an order which has no legal or judicial basis.”

High Court issued the order after accepting a petition filed by Maldives Democracy Network (MDN).

It had issued the order for a delay until the issue was resolved in court.

High Court can no longer look into the case as Supreme Court has cancelled the petition form submitted in the case.

Hussein Humam – convicted for the murder of Dr. Afrasheem Ali, and Ahmed Murrath – convicted for the murder of Ahmed Najeeb – await execution, after losing the last stage of appeal when Supreme Court upheld the High Court death sentence verdicts.

Supreme Court noted that lower courts do not have the jurisdiction to overturn orders issued by superior courts.