Coinciding with the 53rd independence day of Maldives, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has commuted sentences for eligible inmates in accordance with the Clemency Act.
The decision to commute sentences was based on the Technical Committee's advice after interviewing inmates and their families. The commutation is conditional and infringing any of the conditions of the commutation voids the commuted sentence and authorizes the President to reinstate the original sentence.
Further, the conditional commutation does not affect the inmate's obligation to pay compensation where applicable. Clemency will be granted for selected convicts that meet the conditions specified in Article 29 of the Clemency Act, according to President's Office. Clemency will be granted with specific conditions for convicts under a special committee selected by the president.
The President's Office stated the mitigation for the convicts will be cancelled if they violate any of the conditions. Under the President's sentence commutation initiative, major crimes such as murder, terrorism, child abuse, homosexuality and drug trafficking are excluded.