Crimeupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 15 June 2023Maldives Police Arrest Opposition Leader Abdulla Shahid Over Child Sexual Abuse Allegations
5 Asian2 Western AlternativePhoto: U.S. Department of State / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Abdulla Shahid, former Maldives foreign minister and MDP president, arrested on suspicion of child abuse. Police say arrest was made under a court warrant late Monday in Malé.
Save coverage image
Arrest in Malé
Maldives Police arrested former foreign minister Abdulla Shahid on suspicion of child sexual abuse, taking him into custody at 21:59 in Malé under a court warrant. The Maldives Police said the arrest was made on the night of 2 November 2026 at around 21:59, and the police stated that they were conducting further investigations into the case.
The arrest occurred late Monday night under a court order, and the 64-year-old opposition leader was being investigated over allegations involving the sexual abuse of a minor under 18 years of age. Shahid rejected the allegations and said the claims being circulated against him were baseless, while the police said further investigations into the case were underway.
Warrant, Section 18
The Maldives Police Service in Dhivehi said Shahid was arrested under Section 18 of the police regulations pursuant to a court warrant executed in Malé. The arrest was made at around 9:59 pm (local time) under a court warrant, and the police were conducting further investigations.
MDP supporters and senior opposition lawmakers labelled the arrest as politically motivated targeting of the chief opposition leader, while law enforcement agencies maintained the arrest was executed under strict legal protocols following formal complaints and a judicial warrant. Shahid rejected the allegations and called them baseless and politically motivated, and it quoted him saying, "The stories being politically circulated to assassinate my character are completely baseless lies."
Political stakes Ahead
The arrest placed Abdulla Shahid, a former President of the United Nations General Assembly, at the center of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's presidential preparations ahead of the 2028 elections. Shahid was the president of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and he was taken into custody in Malé at around 10 pm on Monday following a court warrant, with further court proceedings expected to determine his remand and detention.
“The politically motivated stories being spread about me to assassinate my character are all false.”
Shahid denied the allegations and the arrest assumed significance because he served as President of the United Nations General Assembly in 2021-22 and was among prominent presidential aspirants within the main opposition MDP for the island nation’s 2028 elections. Shahid was a leading contender for the opposition MDP presidential nomination ahead of the 2028 election and posted on X denying the claims, including the line, “The politically motivated stories being spread about me to assassinate my character are all false.”