Court rejects defence plea to close Anas murder trial

Lawyers representing the seven suspects argued that hearings should be closed because misleading media reports were putting “the safety of prosecution and the defence at risk,” noting also that “90 percent of the evidence is sealed.”

But Judge Hassan Najeeb decided to keep proceedings open after counsel from the prosecution. 

“We believe it’s the defence trying to hide what they’re doing,” said Aishath Mohamed, the senior public prosecutor on the case. “If the case needed to be closed, the prosecution will request it, as we’ve practiced before.”