Maldives: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2022

Police, in an operation, arrested an individual suspected to be linked to terrorism in Vilimale’ under North Male Atoll on January 7, reports Sun.mv. Read less...

On January 9, Maldives Police Service (MPS) and Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) launched a joint operation under the name ‘Gulhigen’ for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the public and the security and peace of Male’ City, reports Sun.mv. Read less...

On January 9, two accused, Abdulla Ali Manik and Mohamed Thasleem, pled not guilty when prosecution read out charges against at a hearing held in Criminal Court, reports Sun.mv. Both are booked for supporting a terrorist organization under Article 16-1 (b) of the Counter-Terrorism Act with reference to Article 16-1 (a) (1). Abdulla Ali Manik has claimed that the terror organization, Islamic State (IS) disbanded two years ago and that he does not support the organization. Both were arrested after the May 6 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on Speaker Mohamed Nasheed. Read less...

On January 16, Ministry of Education said that Indian teachers from public schools of some administrative islands have been the target of harassment, reports Edition. Permanent Secretary of Education Ministry Ahmed Ali told Mihaaru News that they received reports teachers from two different islands had been harassed in the previous academic term. “We received reports that locals had called ‘India Out’ at Indian teachers on the road, and had called for them to leave the island as well,” Ahmed had said. Read less...

On January 19, the Criminal Court found two persons, Ismail Haisham and Ahmed Zihan Ismail, guilty of murdering blogger Yamin Rasheed, reports Avas.mv. Yamin was murdered in the stairwell of his home on the night of April 23, 2017. Charges of assaulting a person with a sharp object with intent to kill were raised against six suspects: Ismail Haisham Rasheed, Hussain Ziyad, Ismail Rasheed, Hassan Shifaz, Mohamed Dhifran, and Ahmed Zihan Ismail. The Criminal Court questioned the charges against Ziyad, Ismail, Shifaz, and Dhifran as the State had not submitted any evidence against them and acquitted them. Court sentenced Haisham and Zihan were sentenced to 25 years in jail, and the period they have already spent in detention, four years and eight months and eleven days, was reduced from the sentence. Therefore, they will serve 20 years, three months, and 19 days. Read less...

On January 23, the Maldives has finalized regulations that allow for children born to Maldivians in conflict zones to be registered in the Maldives, if a court confirms the children were born to a Maldivian, reports Sun.Mv. The regulation dictates that children born to Maldivians living in conflict zones must be registered in the Maldives. But it requires for a court of law to rule the children were born to a Maldivian. Application for the birth certificate must be filed within four days the court issues its ruling. Read less...

On January 26, a hearing in the trial against Abdulla Ali Manik and Mohamed Thasleem was held at the Criminal Court, reports Rajje.mv. The duo was arrested in connection to the assassination attempt on current Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed on May 6,2021. During the hearing, the state submitted evidence against the suspects, including secret witnesses, anonymous testimonies as well as other evidence including police intel reports, those who compiled the report, mobile forensic reports and those who compiled it as well as a resolution by the President’s Office, submitted to prove terrorist links to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. Both the defendants and state revealed that they need time to gather submission before the trial which was granted by the court. As such, 12 days were granted to carry out the task. Read less...