Convicted killer lost mind; can't tell people apart, says family

The family of Hussain Humam, who was sentenced to death for the murder of the religious scholar and the then member of parliament Afrasheem Ali, has claimed that he has lost his mental faculties and is urging the authorities to help him. 

Humam was the only suspected convicted of murdering Afrasheem on 2 October 2012. The 2014 death sentence was later upheld by the Supreme Court. 

Humam's family on Monday told Atoll Times that the youngest member of their family has been in jail for the past 10 years and his mental state has deteriorated drastically. According to the family, in addition to self-inflicted violence and screaming, he has reached a point where he cannot tell people apart anymore.

Humam’s own sister, who spoke to Atoll TImes, said that tests conducted to ascertain his mental state also showed that his condition was worsening.

"It wouldn't be wrong to say Humam is insane today," he said.

She said that when she goes to meet her little brother, he pulls on her burqa and does  not recognize his sister. At times, she says, he refuses to even talk to his parents. She expressed concern that Humam's condition was deteriorating by the day.

The family alleged that Humam, who was completely separate from other inmates in an isolated cell from the beginning, was also physically assaulted. According to the family,:

The family shared a report on Humam's mental condition with Atoll Times, which notes:

According to the family, Humam had started showing symptoms of mental deterioration soon afetr he was kept in isolation not long after his arrest. They say that during the trial even, they saw how Humam was not paying any heed to the judge's statements and was looking at different places and biting his handcuff. The family said they had asked for mental treatment for him at the time as well.

"Before the verdict, he would always say that the righteous will emerge victorious, that he will get justice. But with the execution sentence, the whole person had changed," says Humam's sister.

"It's getting worse day by day and now most of what he's saying doesn't make sense. Sometimes he doesn't even recognise his own family."

Humam's family has also approached the Human Rights Commission on several occasions. However, there was no support from the agency, the family said.

"So, now all our demand is to give our brother the treatment he needs. Not to be deprived of human rights when he could not even get a fair trial. And not to be isolated," Humam’s sister said.

When asked about Humam's condition, corrections said they do not disclose information about any person. However, K. Maafushi prison will have a psychiatrist and if any inmate has a mental problem, he or she will be consulted there, they said.

"If the prisoner needs any further treatment, they will be brought to the capital and consulted there," a corrections spokesman said.

Found guilty for the inhumanely merciless murder of Afrasheem who is a member of parliament representing Ungoofaaru constituency, but two others were accused in the murder as well. In a report released in 2019, the commission set up to investigate unusual disappearances and unexplained deaths assessed:

According to the report: