Attorney General (AG) Ibrahim Riffath has said the state needs to find an urgent solution for the sentences issued in absentia.
Speaking at the sub-committee formed to review the letters submitted to the Parliament of Maldives on behalf of individuals sentenced to prison, AG Riffath said the Constitution of Maldives states any person accused of a crime must be clearly notified of their crime without delay, adding some people have gone to prison without knowing what their crime was. Noting there is no justification for violating the constitution, the attorney general said the sentences issued in absentia needs to be reviewed urgently. He said the problem needs an urgent solution, even if it necessitates the cases to be submitted to Supreme Court of Maldives.
While the state has begun efforts to review sentences issued in absentia, there are currently 135 individuals serving such sentences.