Maldives court frees alleged jihadi fighter
No suspects charged with joining militant groups have been convicted to date.
24 Jul 2019, 9:00 AM
The criminal court has dismissed terrorism charges raised against a Maldivian man for allegedly attempting to join a militant group in Syria.
Ali Shafeeq, from Raa atoll Kandholhudhoo, was charged under the 2015 Anti-Terrorism Act for “leaving the country to join a civil war in a foreign country.” He was accused of travelling to Turkey in October 2016 and attempting to cross the border into Syria with the intention of fighting with a terrorist group.
After considering pre-trial motions filed by the defence, the judge reportedly threw out the case at a hearing on Tuesday and ordered Shafeeq’s release. He cited the prosecution’s failure to submit any evidence to justify the terrorism charge.
In July last year, the court ordered Shafeeq’s release from custody for the third time since he was brought back to the Maldives from Turkey.
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