The Criminal Court has scheduled hearings for tomorrow in the ongoing trial of Ali Haisham and Fahumy Ali, two individuals charged in connection with the May 2021 assassination attempt on former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The hearing for Fahumy Ali, of Huduruvaage, GA. Villingili, is set for 09:00. He faces charges of participating in an act of terrorism. Later in the afternoon at 14:00, the court will proceed with the case of Ali Haisham, of Noorigee, N. Manadhoo. In addition to participation in terrorism, Haisham is charged with planning the attack and assisting in the transportation of explosives.

The May 6 attack remains one of the most significant security breaches in recent Maldivian history. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attached to a motorcycle was detonated as President Nasheed walked to his car outside his residence on Neeloafaru Hingun. The blast left him with life-threatening injuries from shrapnel, necessitating 16 hours of surgery at ADK Hospital followed by extensive treatment in Germany.

While ten individuals have been charged in relation to the case, only Adhuham Ahmed Rasheed, who confessed to detonating the device, has received a significant sentence of 23 years. Another suspect, Abdulla Ali Manik, was sentenced to five years. In April this year, the Prosecutor General’s Office directed the Maldives Police Service to expedite investigations into the financial backers of the attack.