Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla has stated his main aim is to improve the condition of prisons in the country.
In an exclusive interview with PSM News, Minister Imran said he was given three offers for leadership positions in the current government, including the position of the Minister of Islamic Affairs. Imran said he chose the position of home minister in order to improve the condition of prisons in the country and to provide rehabilitation programmes for convicts in order to alleviate the burden on the community once they are released.
The home minister said he has noticed the prison population consisted of many young people being held in poor conditions. The minister also said he had experienced inhumane treatment in his time as a political prisoner, such as being imprisoned alongside dangerous criminals for 100 days in Dhoonidhoo Prison and another 115 days in Maafushi Prison. However, Imran said he had gained valuable experience and first-hand knowledge of the prison conditions and that he is proud to have eliminated many problems in the Maldivian prison system after his appointment as home minister. He said there is still more work to be done for prison reform, which requires funding and resources.
Minister Imran was imprisoned on May 1 in 2015 for participating in an opposition protest during former President Abdulla Yameen's tenure. He was charged with terrorism and given a 12-year prison sentence but was freed once his case was reviewed after the current government took office in 2018.