News Desk
Male’ — A criminal court order requiring two prominent opposition figures to be stripped and photographed, excluding their genitals, has ignited a firestorm of criticism in the Maldives, with the main opposition party condemning the decision as a grave violation of human rights and democratic principles. The order, issued at the request of the Maldives Police Service, is part of an investigation tied to a defamation case lodged by First Lady Sajida Mohammed, raising concerns about the politicization of the judiciary and the erosion of personal dignity in the country.
Abdulla Shahid, president of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and former foreign minister, expressed alarm over the court’s directive in a post on X on Sunday. “Extremely concerned by the reports that the Criminal Court, on request of Maldives Police Service, has ordered that Mariyam Zubair and Marz Saleem should be stripped and photographed, in connection with the court case lodged by the First Lady,” Shahid wrote. “This deeply violating decision seems to be the latest, in an already concerning case.”
The two opposition figures at the center of the controversy are Ahmed Salim, known as Marz Saleem, a member of the MDP’s National Assembly, and Mariyam Zubair, a prominent party activist known as Mandi. They have been ordered to submit to external body photography and provide voice samples as part of a criminal investigation into remarks they allegedly made at an MDP rally. The comments, which implied that President Mohamed Muizzu’s son, Umair Mohammed Muizzu, was involved in vaping, prompted the First Lady to file a defamation suit in both civil and family courts. The remarks also suggested that a recent ban on vaping in the Maldives was motivated by the child’s alleged use, a claim the President’s family has vehemently denied.
According to police sources the court order for body photography was sought to document “various marks on the body” for identification purposes, explicitly excluding genital photography, which is governed by stricter regulations under the police’s procedures for investigating sexual offenses. The summons, initially requiring Saleem and Zubair to appear on Saturday, was postponed, with police stating that a new date would be announced later. The Maldives Police Service has not issued an official statement on the matter.
The case has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates and opposition supporters, who argue that the court order is an egregious overreach and a deliberate attempt to humiliate and intimidate government critics. Posts social media outlets, called the order a “shocking violation” that contravenes the Maldives’ Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The post urged international human rights bodies, including the United Nations, to intervene.
The defamation suit filed by First Lady Sajida Mohammed is being handled by the law firm of Azima Shakoor, a former presidential legal advisor and the President’s family lawyer. In a statement, the firm argued that the remarks attributed to Umair, the President’s son, endangered his safety and violated protections guaranteed under the Children’s Rights Act and international conventions. The family has maintained that the child has never used vaping products, dismissing the opposition’s claims as baseless and malicious.
For Saleem and Zubair, the court order represents not only a personal affront but also a broader assault on free expression, according to MDP supporters. At the rally in question, their remarks were intended to critique the government’s vaping ban, but the legal repercussions have escalated into a high-profile showdown. The First Lady’s lawsuits, combined with the criminal investigation, signal a willingness to use the judiciary to silence opposition voices, critics say.
