The Office of the Ombudsperson for Transitional Justice has scheduled the hearings for the human rights violations that occurred during the depopulation of Thinadhoo, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in 1962.
The Transitional Justice Office began proceedings on the Thinadhoo depopulation case as one of the 7 cases listed as cases of national interest, among the 488 cases accepted by the office. The case was submitted to the Transitional Justice Office by the Island Council of Thinadhoo and victims of the human rights violations that occurred during the incident.
The Transitional Justice Office has scheduled the first hearings of the case from March 3-5 in Thinadhoo. Further hearings are to be held in Male’ from March 18-19. Individuals who wish to provide statements to the case are required to register before February 15.
The Office of the Ombudsperson for Transitional Justice was established following the ratification of the Transitional Justice Act on December 17, 2020. The office functions as an autonomous legal identity vested with powers to communicate, file a lawsuit or receive court charges under the Transitional Justice Act.
The key goals of the Transitional Justice Act are to end the culture of impunity and strengthen the rule of law, thereby strengthening democratic governance. It sanctions investigations into past wrongdoings by state authorities, heads of agencies, or individuals in power, which resulted in human rights violations.
The eligibility timeframe for cases that may be investigated according to this Act runs from January 1, 1953 to November 17, 2018.