Former President Nasheed Denies Running Infamous Kurusee Account on X

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has denied any involvement with the commentary account Hassan Kurusee on X, following allegations reported by a Sri Lankan newspaper.

Lanka E-News claimed that Sri Lankan authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the account after posts concerning the arrest of former President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on 22 August 2025. Kurusee had suggested that Sri Lanka’s current President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, was behind Wickremesinghe’s arrest and labelled him as corrupt.

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The newspaper reported that investigators were attempting to trace the IP address, Wi-Fi networks, and electronic devices linked to the account, which it described as potentially being managed by a former president, the Speaker of Parliament, the president of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), and a survivor of the 2007 Maldives bombings. While Nasheed was not explicitly named, the report referenced him indirectly using a censored version of his nickname, “A**i.”

In response, Nasheed stated via his official X account that he does not operate the Kurusee account and is not involved with posts targeting President Dissanayake. He reaffirmed his longstanding friendship with Sri Lanka and expressed regret over attempts to create a rift between the two countries.

Let me state for the record, once again, that I do not operate @HKurusee X account. Needless to say, I had nothing to do with the recent tweet against HE President Dissanayake. I’ve always been a friend of 🇱🇰 regardless of who's in power & SL has always assisted Maldives. Sad to…— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) September 9, 2025

“Let me state for the record, once again, that I do not operate @HKurusee X account. Needless to say, I had nothing to do with the recent tweet against HE President Dissanayake. I’ve always been a friend of Sri Lanka regardless of who’s in power & SL has always assisted Maldives. Sad to see people trying to drive a wedge between us,” he wrote.

Nasheed had previously filed a case with the police to verify the authenticity of the Kurusee account, which allegedly shared personal information and confidential documents. The account gained prominence during the previous MDP administration and has widely been believed to be linked to Nasheed, who was then Speaker of Parliament.

He has repeatedly denied running the account, including in statements on 10 January 2024. Police investigations into the account’s identity, which have involved several political figures, remain ongoing. Separately, Levan S. Dzhagaryan, Russia’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, criticised a Kurusee post, accusing Russia of interfering in Maldives affairs. In an April statement, he noted that the account appeared to be operated by a former high-ranking politician “on the run” in Europe, and expressed confidence that the post would not affect diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Russia.