Parliament of Maldives has passed the amendments to Anti-terrorism Act. The amendments were passed with votes from 52 parliamentarians during a session held outside of the parliamentary cycle.
On September 26, Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations approved the amendments to Anti-terrorism Act proposed by the Government of Maldives. The amendments were finalised by the committee after considering suggestions from relevant authorities and the public.
The bill authorizes Maldives Police Services (MPS) to detain a suspect accused of terrorism only for 24 hours, although the government proposed a duration of 48 hours. The bill also requests a reporting mechanism where the respective minister submits reports to the president and parliament speaker and the committee every 6 month.
The government proposed the amendments due to legal challenges faced by the Presidential Commission on Murders and Enforced Disappearances in apprehending suspects and concluding investigations.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih earlier acknowledged the challenges the commission faces in investigating cases. He announced the decision to amend Anti-terrorism Act and Criminal Procedures Act to remove the legal challenges.