Supreme Court orders arrest of Anas murder suspects

The Supreme Court on Sunday ordered the arrest and remand of seven individuals accused in the 2017 murder of Mohamed Anas, pending the outcome of their appeal at the High Court.

Anas, from Fenfiazge, R. Meedhoo, was killed on 31 July 2017 inside the Litus Service Centre. The state filed two sets of charges against seven individuals in connection with the case.

Those charged with intentional homicide are:

Those charged with participation in intentional homicide are:

On 25 February 2024, the Criminal Court acquitted all seven. The Prosecutor General's Office appealed the verdict at the High Court on 16 May 2024. However, the High Court ruled twice against placing the accused in custody during the appeal process.

Following a second appeal by the state, the Supreme Court on Sunday ruled by majority that the accused must now be held in custody pending trial at the High Court.

Justices Ali Rasheed and Mohamed Ibrahim, forming the majority opinion, stated that the level of danger posed to the community must be considered when deciding on pre-trial detention. They cited a police intelligence report presented by the prosecution as sufficient evidence to justify detention.

The justices concluded that despite the amount of time the accused have spent out of custody, the state's submission demonstrated an ongoing threat that warranted remand.

Presiding Justice Aishath Shujoon dissented. She noted that the prosecution had presented only one document—a police intelligence report—to support the claim that the accused posed a danger to society. She further noted that higher courts had not previously relied solely on intelligence reports to justify remand and that the High Court had acted within its judicial discretion.

In a related development, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih previously commuted the sentence of the only minor who was convicted and sentenced in the case.