Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Shihan has met with the delegation from International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) currently visiting Maldives.
The meeting was held at the Head Office of Maldives Correctional Service.
The ICRC delegation consisted of Head of Regional Delegation Mr England and Protection Coordinator Monsieur Besançon, while Maldives Correctional Service was represented by CP Shihan and Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Hassan Zilaal.
ICRC is an independent organisation that carries out various projects and activities internationally. Maldives had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Organisation in 2004 and as per the MOU; ICRC will produce a report on the places of incarceration in Maldives and its operations. The report also includes recommendation on improving the conditions and procedures for incarcerating criminals.
A delegation from ICRC visits Maldives each year to monitor and check the conditions of the prisons. Last year ICRC delegation had visited Maldives in the month of January and inspected the prisons and remand centres of Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) and Maldives Police Service (MPS). Hence in the subsequent ICRC report, they had stated the conditions, operations and procedures of MCS and MPS and had proposed suggestions for further improvement.
CP Shihan had stated that ICRC’s 2016 report noted that the overall conditions of MCS prisons and remand centres were good and he was rather pleased about the fact. He also noted that several measures have been taken to transform the prisons and conditions as per the recommendations of the report, such as reforming convicts and releasing them back to the community on parole.
The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing for another meeting following the visits to prisons.
