Maldives Police Service issue arrest warrant for me after podcast
After my appearance on a podcast with “The Secular Jihadists of the Middle East”, the Maldives police service issue an arrest warrant for me.
My podcast recording:
I had also recently written an open letter addressed to the President and the government of Maldives.
Police arrest warrant was tweeted:
Media coverage of arrest warrant:
Dhivehi coverage:
https://mihaaru.com/news/18010
https://vaguthu.mv/news/528133/
https://avas.mv/34243
http://www.vnews.mv/84590
http://vfp.mv/f/?id=61161
https://oaga.mv/20808/
http://haftha.mv/archives/23592
http://www.sun.mv/90478
https://dhuvas.mv/47629
http://www.miadhu.mv/article/read/26119
https://raajje.mv/news/11076
English coverage:
http://maldivesindependent.com/society/police-summons-issued-to-liberal-bloggers-with-threat-of-trial-in-absentia-130891
https://advox.globalvoices.org/2017/05/30/police-threaten-maldivian-bloggers-abroad-with-arrest-over-twitter/
The text of the warrant reads;
“Muzaffar Mohamed Naeem (age 37) of M. Velidhooge, K. Male’ is wanted for an investigation the Maldives Police Service is carrying out.
Since we have information that Muzaffar Mohamed Naeem is currently living abroad, he is asked to present himself to the Maldives Police Service within 14 days to respond in his defense to accusations against him in our investigation.
If Muzaffar Mohamed Naeem doesn’t present himself to Maldives Police Service within these 14 days, we will be forwarding evidence against him in our investigation to the Prosecutor General of the Maldives to proceed with prosecution in his absentia. This notice has been issued to inform Muzaffar Mubeen Naeem of this matter.”
The document doesn’t say which crime I am being investigated for or what evidence they have against me.
Copy of the arrest warrant below;
Arrest Warrants were prompted by the ruling party parliamentary leader Ahmed Nihan’s call to arrest and prosecute all “irreligious” people in the country to the full extent of the law.
The call was condemned by Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Meanwhile, the Home Minister met with radical preachers in the country earlier this week;
These links provide more context for my arrest;
My current predicament was documented in the Sri Lankan publication roar.lk in the following feature article.
https://roar.lk/reports/what-the-murder-of-one-maldivian-blogger-means-to-another-in-exile/
By now the environment in the Maldives had gotten extremely toxic.
The Sun online in UK has also covered my situation in this article;
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3557390/maldivian-blogger-muju-naeem-death-threats-isis-maldives/
Ongoing witch-hunt for secularists in the country;
Police also issued arrest warrants to others;
Arrest Warrant for Hani Amir;
Arrest Warrant for Dr. Azra Naseem
Arrest Warrant for Aisthath Velezinee;
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