The Office of the Ombudsperson for Transitional Justice has commenced the public hearings for the human rights violations that occurred during the depopulation of Thinadhoo, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in 1962.
The Transitional Justice Office began proceedings on the Thinadhoo depopulation case as one of the 7 cases listed as cases of national interest, among the 488 cases accepted by the office. The case was submitted to the Transitional Justice Office by the Island Council of Thinadhoo and victims of the human rights violations that occurred during the incident.
The Transitional Justice Office has scheduled the first hearings of the case from March 19-22 in Thinadhoo. Another hearing is to be held in Male’ on March 27. The hearings are conducted similar to court hearings.
The Office of the Ombudsperson for Transitional Justice was established following the ratification of the Transitional Justice Act on December 17, 2020. The office functions as an autonomous legal identity vested with powers to communicate, file a lawsuit or receive court charges under the Transitional Justice Act.
The key goals of the Transitional Justice Act are to end the culture of impunity and strengthen the rule of law, thereby strengthening democratic governance. It sanctions investigations into past wrongdoings by state authorities, heads of agencies, or individuals in power, which resulted in human rights violations.
The eligibility timeframe for cases that may be investigated according to this Act runs from January 1, 1953 to November 17, 2018.