Human bones discovered in the site of the former Gaamaadhoo prison on September 19, 2009 matches the age and estimated period of death of Abdulla Anees, Vaavu Keyodhoo Bashigasdhosuge, an inmate officially declared missing in the 1980s, President Mohamed Nasheed revealed this morning.
Speaking at a ceremony to unveil the first volume of elderly historian Ahmed Shafeeq’s short stories at Nasandhuraa Palace Hotel, Nasheed said he was intimately familiar with Gaamadhoo prison and had wondered if the bones could belong to Anees (“Aihbalhey”) when he first heard of the discovery.
“The investigation team said the cemetery at Himmafushi was dug up and its soil was taken to the Gaamaadhoo area and these bones must have been brought from there,” he said, dismissing speculation that the bones could have been transferred from Himmafushi, the inhabited side of the island.
“I was watching with my own eyes when sand was brought from Himmafushi. I would know that it was not from that soil.”
President Nasheed spent three years in Gaamaadhoo prison for dissident journalism in opposition to the rule of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
In September 2009, the President’s Office asked police to investigate the discovery and samples of the 14 bone fragments were sent to Thailand for DNA analysis.
Nasheed revealed today that forensic examination has identified the age of the deceased, while a former prison guard, Mohamed Naeem, of Gaaf Dhaal Hoadhendhoo Muraka, has told the police investigation that Anees died in Gaamaadhoo prison.
Police have now gathered enough evidence to send the case for prosecution, he said, pledging the cases of 111 people reported as missing by Shafeeq would be investigated.
Keyodhoo Councillor Gasim Ahmed told Minivan News today that a 90-year-old man was the only remaining relative of Anees in Keyodhoo.
“I knew Anees very well,” he said. “He was playing with us when he broke his hand and that’s how he was called ‘Aihbalhey’.”
Gasim said that Anees’ father was still alive but had moved to another island.
Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said today that the investigation was still underway and details would be disclosed at a later stage.
Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News at the time that the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party had voiced concern over the disappearance of inmates.
“There were allegations that some were killed in jail and buried,” said Zuhair. “There were also allegations that some people were dropped in pits where they made lime for construction.”
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LMAOL, he had to wait to break this news until this old man's book is released. Cmon Mr President, you can do better than this..LMAOL
Horrific. I hope the government investigates what happened to all the other people declared missing, so that their families can atleast get closure.
@ Ali what better time then today to declare that since Shafeeg is the one who actually talked most about the missing people and seems really concerned about it.
Hope to see more of Shafeeg's work, and ex-president Gayoom really has no shame trying to drag an old sick guy to court after making his life hell.
the one hundred and eleven(111)missing people and their families deserve justice, just like scholar shafeeg. Hope minivannews will now treat this issue seriously
111 ppl? Per capita, that is murder on a bigger scale than in Argentina's dirty war!
To think Yamin once told me his Brother Maumoon was too soft and too compassionate (on dissidents...) makes me tremble to imagine what Yamin is going to do to you guys if he gains power.
111 ppl? Justice must be achieved, truth must be demanded.
I need to hear you guys shout for truth and feel you guys struggle for justice all the way over here in Australia.
I'm listening... waiting...
COME ON!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!
I usually don't troll but I have to say this-
@
Ali on Sun, 10th Oct 2010 4:57 PM
LMAOL Laughing My Ass Off Loud? really?
Someones son, brother, uncle, nephew was tortured and murdered ... its just fate that that someone wasn't you.
FYI I would like to say you are AWOL from humanity you sad SOB.
Yes, Im LMAOL, Im doing that because all this story shafeeg has written is fabricated. Ask him if he know's someone by the name of "madivaru hassanu" go and ask him. All lies, he was or neither Hassan Manik, Ali Moosa Didi or Latheef was in Solitary Confinement.
ALI: U SAD SOB. and who are YOU to have the authority on this matter? were u the prison gaurd ?
Justice and a formal apology for the victims and their families. Nothing less.
All beneficiaries of the tit bits offered by this Gayyoom will have negative views and will have tremor effects and they wouldn't know if they were and are SOBs or ?
@Ben Plewright. Yes! Truth must be demanded!
But getting JUSTICE, especially at the "criminal" court of the Maldives remains a question. It seems the table is a lot lopsided towards the bin!
It is sincerely hoped that these investigations do not go down the drain in to unknown history and would rather be of consolation to the families of the victims who would know that they died under the cruel hands of inhuman and ruthless people!
Ali, i was in shafeeguge' in 1995 when this incident happened. I remember this day way too well. One evening the police just raided the house and took Shafeeq to jail, without notice.it was horrifying... they were literally stripping the house down... moving shelves, ripping his study in and out looking for diaries... even the rooms in the house.
and his son wrote a later of complaint or soemthing along those lines to gayyoom and the couple days later he was taken to gaamaadhoo jail. yes SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. they both were put into Solitary confinement.
Ali, you dont really know what happened...coz ur just basing your facts on what "madivaru hassanu" said... was he there when it happened? did he live through it? No he didnt.
YES, I know each and everything that happened. Im not basing my comments on rumors. FACTS. Shafeeq, nor Ali Moosa Didi nor Latheef was put in Solitary confinement. Were they tortured? It depends how Shafeeq defines it.