Court extends remand of man arrested for death threats by 15 days

The Criminal Court has granted a 15-day extension to the remand of a man arrested for sharing and promoting social media posts by terrorist organizations.

The man, identified as a 27-year-old Maldivian citizen, had been arrested on October 12.

He is accused of incitement of grievous bodily harm to people and creating fear within the community.

The man had been initially remanded to 10 days in jail, which was extended to 15 more days this Tuesday.

There has recently been a spike in open deaths threats within the Maldivian community. It includes the death threats made against the senior officials of Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) during the demonstration held at R. Angolhitheemu against the blasphemous content on one of its publications. Several demonstrators have been asked to present themselves for questioning by the police.

Meanwhile, the police are also investigating death threats being issued against the Commissioner of Police, Mohamed Hameed (MC Hameed) himself over social media platforms.

The newly revised Anti-Terrorism Act accommodates for a broader definition of “terrorism”.

It establishes support and/or promotion of a terrorist organization, causing grievous bodily harm to another, exposing another’s life to threat, enforced disappearance or abduction, extensive damage to property, hijacking of a passenger plane, vehicle or vessel, exposing the health of general public or members of the general public to danger, and causing damage to critical infrastructure or hindering facilitation of public services as acts of terrorism.