Death penalty bill specifies hanging method, seven-member panel in Maldives

A new bill on the imposition and execution of the death penalty has been presented to the People's Majlis, detailing that the method of execution will be by hanging through a drop mechanism. The government bill, introduced by Guraidhoo constituency representative Hanan Mohamed Rashid, mandates that the tools and methods used cause the least possible pain and ensure the swiftest execution. Following final judicial stages and consent of the heirs, the execution will be managed by a seven-member panel formed separately for each case by the Maldives Correctional Service. The panel includes officers from the Maldives Correctional Service and Maldives Police Service, a prosecutor from the Office of the Prosecutor General, a member designated by the People's Majlis, a doctor appointed by the Maldives Medical and Dental Council, a person designated by the Supreme Court, and a person designated by the highest Islamic council. Execution is suspended if the criminal is ill or if the criminal is a woman with a child under two years old, among other conditions. The bill applies the death penalty for murder and specific drug cases, including trafficking over 350 grams of cannabis, 250 grams of dimophin, or 100 grams of Schedule 1 substances. The death penalty has not been executed in the Maldives since 1954, with four individuals having completed all judicial stages by the end of 2024. The policy has shifted between recent administrations, with former President Abdulla Yameen initially ending the halt, later reversed by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2018. Yameen recently stated he no longer supports execution due to lack of confidence in the judiciary.