The Criminal Court of the Maldives has ordered the Maldivian family brought back from a foreign conflict zone to be kept at the National Reintegration Centre for an additional eight months.
The family consists of a 33-year-old woman and her four children who are minors. They left the Maldives in 2013 to join a foreign conflict and were repatriated after they sought help. They are currently being held at the National Reintegration Centre in accordance with the Anti-Terrorism Act. The Family Court has ruled that two of the children born in the conflict zone are Maldivian nationals, based on DNA evidence and maternity tests conducted by the Maldives Police Service (MPS).
Ministry of Home Affairs stated women and children who are victims of violence have legal protection under Maldivian law and regulations of international organisations, and therefore, revealing the identities of the family members will violate their legal rights. The ministry stated it will prioritise national security and the safety of citizens when conducting its work to repatriate Maldivians from foreign conflict zones. It also stated that the repatriated individuals will undergo rehabilitation and be made into productive members of society, in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.