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The Criminal Court has concluded trial hearings in the retrial of blogger Yameen Rasheed's murder case, with a three-judge bench set to deliver the final verdict for all four defendants.
News Desk
Blogger Yameen Rasheed -
MALE : The Criminal Court concluded trial hearings today in the retrial of blogger Yameen Rasheed’s murder, with the bench announcing that the court will next deliver its verdict for all four accused individuals.
Yameen Rasheed was fatally stabbed in the stairwell of his residence in April 2017. Following High Court orders to retry the cases of Ismail Haisham Rasheed, Ahmed Zihan Ismail, Ismail Rasheed, and Mohamed Dhifraan, the Criminal Court held its final closing argument session focusing on Ismail Rasheed and Dhifraan.
During the hearing, state prosecutors argued that evidence proves Ismail Rasheed waited outside Yameen’s house on a motorcycle to aid the attackers and participated in murder planning discussions. The state further asserted that Difraan took part in monitoring Yameen before the attack and was recorded near the victim’s house the following day.
Defense lawyers countered that state claims rely on questionable secret witnesses who refused to answer defense questions, alongside unclear video snapshots.
With hearings for Haisham and Zihan already completed previously, the three-judge bench led by Judge Ibrahim Ihsan confirmed the case now awaits a final verdict.
Presiding Bench: Judge Ibrahim Ihsan (Chair), Judge Mohamed Misbah, and Judge Ali Nadeem.
Retrial Defendants: Ismail Haisham Rasheed, Ahmed Zihan Ismail, Ismail Rasheed, and Mohamed Difraan.
