Member of Parliament for Baarashu constituency, Ibrahim Shujaau, stated that despite former President Yameen’s claim that the issue of “Vaanuvaa” (indefinite/pre-trial) detention could be resolved in five minutes, he made no effort to address it throughout his five-year presidency, effectively “playing cards” (wasting time). Shujaau highlighted that “Vaanuvaa” detention was introduced during President Nasheed’s administration, escalated during Yameen’s presidency, and remained unresolved during Solih’s tenure, thereby criticizing all three previous governments. Shujaau believes the solution to this problem lies in facilitating the judiciary to expedite the resolution of pending cases. He added that President Dr. Muizzu would address this matter with genuine intent.
In response to this, President Dr. Muizzu stated that while it might be asserted that individuals in “Vaanuvaa” detention could be released within five minutes, it is not within his prerogative to release those accused of child sexual abuse, terrorism, murder, and drug trafficking. The President emphasized that the solution to the “Vaanuvaa” detention issue involves providing resources to the courts, which he has already initiated, including expanding the courtroom capacity of the Criminal Court.
According to statistics provided by President Muizzu, there are currently 314 individuals in “Vaanuvaa” detention. This figure includes 29 individuals accused of murder, 20 for terrorism, 117 for child sexual abuse, 70 for assault, and 116 for drug trafficking. The President further noted that individuals accused of other crimes such as theft, armed robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking, same-sex relations, arson, and smuggling are also among those detained. He added that many of the current cases do not even align with the criteria typically considered for “Vaanuvaa” detention, and a significant number of these detainees are aware of their scheduled hearing dates.
