Abdulla Luthfee to be Released from Prison Today
Photo: Sun
Abdulla Luthfee, who was behind the November 3, 1988, terror attack, is set to be released from prison today following the completion of his sentence.
He is expected to leave prison later in the day.
Luthfee had completed a 25-year sentence for his role in the 1988 attack back in June. Additionally, he served a seven-month sentence in 2021 after fleeing overseas upon being granted medical furlough.
The former convict was originally serving a life sentence for his involvement in the 1988 attack when, on January 16, 2010, the Home Ministry issued him a one-year travel document to seek medical treatment in India at his own expense.
However, Luthfee went on the run after being granted furlough, eluding authorities for almost a decade before surrendering himself to officials at the Maldivian embassy in Colombo on May 1, 2019, during security sweeps in Sri Lanka following the Easter bombings.
Luthfee faced charges of fleeing a detention facility, a Class 5 felony punishable by nine months and 18 days in prison. Despite initially being issued this sentence, he pleaded guilty to the charge and received a lighter sentence of seven months and six days in prison.
The November 3rd, 1988, attack, orchestrated with armed mercenaries from the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), aimed to overthrow former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration. The assault resulted in the loss of 19 Maldivian lives, including eight soldiers and 11 civilians, with many others sustaining injuries.
Originally sentenced to death, Luthfee’s punishment was later commuted to a life sentence of 25 years by President Maumoon. His co-conspirator, Sagar Ahmed Nasir, had been released upon completing his sentence in previous years.