State witnesses have stated that Adhaalath Party chief Sheikh Imran Abdullah had not urged any protester to engage in any violent activity during the May Day protests.
Speaking in the trial on Sunday, the witnesses from state said that in his address to the protesters Imran had not directly urged any protester to engage in any violent activity. However, the witness added that the violence of that had been spurred by the statements delivered by the Sheikh.
The witness said that he had surveyed many areas in which the protest was carried out as an independent observer. He further said that Jumhooree Party Deputy Leader Ameen Ibrahim had reminded all to attend Maghrib prayers and that he had attended the prayers in the traders mosque. He added that he had witnessed Police allowing individuals who had not taken part in the protest to cross the green zone into Islamic Center.
Defense Lawyer Husnu Suood had aimed many questions to the state witnesses. Suood asked the witness if he or any other protest was encouraged by Imran’s speech.
He had affirmed the questions posed by Husnu Suood, adding that neither he nor the protesters had been encouraged or impassioned by the speech.
In today’s trial, Judge Abdul Baaree Yoosuf had ordered a further analysis on the tapes submitted by the state which shows a private conversation between Sheikh Imran and Sobah Rasheed during the protest, adding that the state had to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the voice was of Imran.
The Judge also ordered to analyze if the previous videos were shot in Male’; the previous video shows protesters attacking a Police officers and a pickup moving against the Police ranks.
Prosecution lawyer said that the state needed more time to analyze the videos.
Judge Baaree in the trial said that in the next hearing an additional witness will be brought to Court. He did not elaborate on who the witness was, merely stating that both the prosecution and the defense will be able to cross examine the witness.
In the hearing, Sheikh Imran was brought to court in chains, a precedent that had not been followed before. Sheikh Imran had already filed a request to Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed and Chief Judge at Criminal Court Abdullah Mohamed to facilitate another Judge to oversee the proceedings.
Sheikh Imran did not urge protesters to engage in violence: State witness
