The People's Majlis has today passed amendments to the law, introducing the death penalty for individuals convicted of importing or trafficking illicit drugs into the Maldives.

According to the bill amending the Narcotic Drugs Act, which was passed by the Majlis today, the death penalty can be imposed in cases of drug importation, provided that the Supreme Court judges reviewing the case reach a unanimous agreement.

The bill was passed today with 65 votes in favor, with no members voting against it.

The bill stipulates that the death penalty shall be imposed if three specific conditions are met:

The amount of cannabis imported into the Maldives by the individual exceeds 350 grams.TThe amount of diamorphine imported into the Maldives by the individual exceeds 250 grams.If the illicit substance imported into the Maldives by the individual is a narcotic listed in Schedule One, other than cannabis and diamorphine, and the amount exceeds 100 grams.However, the bill specifies that the death penalty can only be applied if the narcotic substance imported by the individual was brought into the Maldives at the time of their entry.

The bill further states that if a person is sentenced in such a case, all legal aspects of the judgment and the factual circumstances of the case must be re-examined by higher courts.

It clarifies that the death penalty can only be enforced upon a unanimous judgment by the bench of Supreme Court judges reviewing the case. In situations where the Supreme Court bench does not reach a unanimous decision, the sentence to be imposed must be life imprisonment along with a fine ranging from MVR 100,000 to MVR 10,000,000.

Currently, "life imprisonment" in the law means imprisonment for 25 years. However, as amended by the committee, "life imprisonment" under this law refers to imprisonment for the duration of the individual's life, without eligibility for parole or presidential pardon.

The bill also states that offenses for which life imprisonment or the death penalty are prescribed under this law shall not be subject to any form of pardon or commutation of sentence.

Furthermore, it explicitly prohibits the state from entering into any plea agreements in such cases.