The prosecution has argued that the protected witness in the murder case of blogger Yameen Rasheed cannot withdraw testimony given previously. The case involves six individuals who were originally charged with stabbing Yameen to death. In January 2022, Ismail Haisham Rasheed and Ahmed Zihan Ismail were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, while the other four defendants were acquitted.

Haisham and Zihan later appealed their convictions at the High Court, which overturned the verdict and ordered a retrial. The case was subsequently reopened, with the second hearing held on Saturday focusing on a letter submitted by the protected witness seeking to retract or challenge his earlier testimony.

The prosecution told the court that the witness submitted the letter two years after giving his testimony and around a month after the sentencing announcement. They argued that the witness had never mentioned being afraid or intimidated during his testimony and maintained that his original account was consistent with CCTV footage from the scene.

The defence, however, argued that the witness had been intimidated and influenced from the outset of the case, claiming he had faced harassment and threats. They also highlighted that he was the only witness who allegedly saw the accused leaving the scene after the attack. The retrial, reopened in February following the High Court's order, is being heard by a three-judge bench comprising Judges Ibrahim Ihsan, Mohamed Misbah and Ali Nadeem.