High Court issues monitoring orders against 3 men acquitted in terrorism case
A decision has yet to be made on whether to appeal the acquittals in the terrorism case.
Top Stories
The High Court has issued monitoring and control orders against three men who were acquitted of terrorism charges in a case involving an alleged Islamic State (IS)-linked extremist cell operating in Th. Thimarafushi.
The case concerned allegations that members of the group had planned a terrorist attack in the Maldives, including an alleged attempt to manufacture an improvised explosive device (IED) under the direction of IS and bomb the laboratory at Thimarafushi School.
Eight individuals faced seven charges in connection with the case. However, only four were convicted when the court delivered its verdict last month.
After deductions for time already spent in custody, only one of those convicted was required to serve a further prison sentence. The remaining defendants were released.
The four individuals acquitted of the charges were Shamaah Shareef, Abdulla Shareef, Ahsan Mohamed and Mohamed Aasir, all from Thimarafushi.
According to information obtained by Dhauru, the High Court issued the monitoring and control orders, known as MoniCon orders, against three of the acquitted men following an application by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.
The orders were issued against Abdulla Shareef, Ahsan Mohamed and Mohamed Aasir. Shamaah Shareef was not included in the application.
A decision has yet to be made on whether to appeal the acquittals in the terrorism case.
According to the charges filed in the case, the defendants were accused of travelling to uninhabited islands under the pretext of recreational trips to conduct training activities.
They were also accused of spreading extremist ideology in Thimarafushi by organising classes in private homes, conducting religious lectures online and establishing separate congregations for prayers.
The prosecution further alleged that the group supported IS and had planned to carry out an attack in the Maldives.
However, the court found that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against four of the defendants.
Under the monitoring and control framework, the Home Minister may seek a court order to monitor individuals reasonably suspected of posing a threat to society.
The ministry submitted its application to the High Court on the grounds that the three men required monitoring because of concerns about the potential threat they could pose to public safety.
The orders allow the authorities to monitor the individuals concerned, despite their acquittal in the criminal proceedings.
The monitoring orders are separate from the terrorism convictions and do not overturn the court's decision to acquit the three men.
