Maldives Criminal Court cancels 30 hearings

Hearings for 30 different trials were cancelled by the Maldives Criminal Court Thursday to familiarise judges and staff with new trial rules.

The rules, published by the Supreme Court a year after the criminal procedures law was implemented, came into effect Wednesday.

A court spokesman told the Maldives Independent that hearings would continue after the weekend.

One of the cancelled trials was a terror hearing for ex-president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had earlier asked for hearings to be conducted without him because of his age and ill health.

Mohamed Faisal, one of Gayoom’s lawyers, told local media a request letter had been sent to the court.

“He says in the letter that conducting the trial in his presence is a right he is guaranteed by the constitution and that he has decided to let go of that right, [and] that his lawyers will advocate on his behalf in court, so to continue the hearings with the presence of his lawyers,” Faisal said.

Another cancelled trial was that of Ali Shafeeq, who is charged with attempting to join a foreign war.