High Court decides against having Anas’ murder suspects jailed during appeal

The High Court on Monday ruled against a motion filed by the state seeking to have the suspects in the brutal 2017 murder of Mohamed Anas detained as the court hears the appeal over their acquittal.

Anas, a young boat captain from R. Meedhoo, was stabbed to death inside the Litus Service Center in Male’ on July 31, 2017. Anas had fled into the bike shop after he was chased by eight men on four motorcycles armed with sharp-edged weapons. He sustained 24 stab wounds in the brutal attack.

Eight people were charged in connection to the murder; Junaih Abdulla (Nannaarige, L. Gan), Hassan Mahfooz (Western Villa, S. Feydhoo), Simah Moosa (Dhafthar 1746), Ahmed Zayan (Asurumaage, Lh. Kurendhoo), Usman Shareef (M. Dhimishq, Male’), Afrah Abdul Razzaq (M. Lonumidhilige, Male’), Mohamed Saaz (Gulfaamge, Th. Kinbidhoo), and one more young man whose identity has not been disclosed as he was 17 years old at the time.

Four of them were accused of stabbing Anas; the minor, Ahmed Zayan, Afrah Abdul Razzaq and Usman Shareef. They were charged with murder with intent using a sharp-edged weapon.

The remaining suspects – Mohamed Saaz, Junaih Abdulla, Hassan Mahfooz and Simah Moosa – allegedly drove the motorcycles – and were charged as accomplices to murder with intent using a sharp-edged weapon.

The minor was acquitted by the Juvenile Court in January 2021, but the verdict was overturned upon appeal by the Hight Court in October 2022. In November 2023, the then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih used his executive powers to commute his sentence from 18 to 10 years.

Meanwhile, the seven adult suspects were acquitted by the Criminal Court on February 25, 2024, after the court found the evidence insufficient to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The Prosecutor General’s Office appealed the ruling with the High Court in May 2024. They also filed a motion to have all seven suspects jailed pending the outcome of the appeal.

However, the court decided on Monday that the prosecution failed to demonstrate sufficient grounds to hold them in jail during the appeal.

The police investigation into the murder uncovered that Anas, who worked as a boat captain, had not been the intended target for the killing, but that the assailants mistook Anas for their target – a rival gang member - because he had been wearing similar clothing.