The South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) group has added its voice to the international concern over the government’s moves to reintroduce the death penalty.
“SAHR is deeply concerned with the adoption of this new regulation and calls upon the Government of the Maldives to respect international human rights law and to retain the moratorium on the use of the death penalty, especially in cases that involve minors, and to abolish the practice altogether,” read the group’s statement.
Recalling reasons cited by the Home Minister Umar Naseer for the decision, SAHR said that it did not believe there could be any justification for the use of the death penalty, particularly against children.
According to the recently published regulations, implementation of death penalty can be delayed if the convict is underage till he or she is 18-years-old and if the convict is pregnant, until she gives birth and the child is two-years-old.
SAHR, which describes itself as a network of human rights defenders, was established in 2000 by civil society leaders from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
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