Saifiu and his wife, both Maldivian nationals, were arrested by Afghan authorities in 2018 from eastern Nangarhar province, where they had joined ISIS. Since then, they, along with their children, are in an Afghan prison. The Maldivian government despite making several efforts have failed to repatriate their children.  

In 2019, both parents have been sentenced to 21 years in prions by Maldivian authorities. A total of  243 Maldivians with suspected links to ISIS were arrested in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province in November 2019. Among them are 107 children and 63 women. 

Last week, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) said they were unable to bring back the children whose parents were incarcerated in Afghanistan as their parents had not allowed it, according to a report in Raajje TV.

Furthermore, a note by Shafiu, accusing Maldivian police of torture and inhumane acts went viral on social media platforms-- a claim denied by the Maldivian police. In his note, he also alleged that his children were also stuck in jail due to the lack of assistance from Maldivian authorities.

Significantly, in 2015, he, along with his wife, was stopped by authorities at Velena International Airport from joining ISIS in Syria. However, he was released later in absence of evidence. In 2018, he went to Sri Lanka on medical grounds from there he had reportedly flown to Pakistan and crossed over to Afghanistan. 

Maldivian authorities later came to know about his joining ISIS in Afghanistan through an Interpol notice. 

HRCM said that it had been following all developments in the case since it was first brought to their attention. It said that work was conducted to bring back the children to the Maldives with the support of Afghan authorities, but that it was halted after the parents refused to cooperate.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has been delaying the process, the commission said. Upon the request of Maldivian authorities, the Afghan Human Rights Commission  had also paid a visit to the family and shared updates with the Maldives. 

(SAM)