Inmate at Maafushi Prison Found Dead in Apparent Suicide
The Maldives Correctional Service confirmed yesterday that Ibrahim Shamweel, a 23-year-old inmate from S. Maradhoo, took his own life while incarcerated.
The discovery of his body was made by officers around 16:20hrs when Shamweel was found hanging in his cell. He was immediately rushed to Maafushi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 16:55hrs.
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Shamweel had been serving a sentence of one year and six months for the conviction of intimidating a person with grievous bodily harm. Following the incident, the Maldives Correctional Service notified several authorities, including the Maldives Police Service, the Inspection of Correctional Services, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM), the National Integrity Commission, and Shamweel’s family.
This marks the latest in a concerning trend of increasing deaths and suicides within the country’s prison system. The most recent suicide before this occurred on September 24, 2024. Another incident was reported in August of the previous year, where an inmate under the custody of the Maldives Police Service at Dhoonidhoo Jail also took their life.
