Maldives human rights body probes inmate death

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives is probing the death of an inmate who was under the care of prison authorities.

Hamzath Ahmed Fathuhy, 38, died after suffering a stroke last Wednesday and was brought to Malé later that night.

He had been serving a 25-year jail sentence on a drug charge.

HRCM officials told the Maldives Independent Tuesday that it had started investigating the case but refused to provide any other detail.

Ahmed Fathuhy told Mihaaru his son was taken to the state-owned Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital five hours after he was first shown to a doctor at Maafushi jail. He said his son died as a result of being denied treatment.

Hamzath’s death makes him the tenth prisoner to die under state care in the past two years.