The Human Rights Commission of Maldives has requested the Prosecutor General's Office to charge two police officers over the death of Ahmed Athuhar, who died after he attempted to take his own life while under police custody.
HRCM requested after conducting an investigation that led to the eventual death of the suspect who was apprehended following a stand-off with the Police after he had taken his girlfriend hostage.
It did not reveal any more information about the nature of the charges or the identity of the police officers.
In the dramatic turn of events last August, Athuhar held his girlfriend at knife-point before police officers intervened. The suspect was seriously injured in the encounter as he received a blow to his head and was admitted at IGMH before being released to police custody shortly after.
The suspect used the strings on his shorts to hang himself in his cell in Dhoonidhoo jail.
HRCM said last September that it would be reviewing the use of force by Police when freeing the hostage from the suspect's hold.
It further said that it has been investigating the incident in providing medical treatment to the victim and the provision of medical treatment to Adam Athar after he was taken into police custody.
The Commission further said that the Police had alerted the Commission when the suspect had attempted to take his own life while under Police custody on Sunday night.
It said that its rapid response team has been collecting relevant information about the incident and that it was further scrutinizing how the suspect came to take his own life while under police custody.
Police shared CCTV footage of how the suspect was found hanging in his cell in the holding prison and it showed that he had used the strings of his shorts to make a noose to hang himself.
It took police officers 30 minutes to attend to the suspect after he hung himself.
