Police Warn of Legal Action Against Online Intimidation of Officers

MV+ News Desk | October 7, 2025
Photo: MDP

The Maldives Police Service has announced that legal action will be taken against individuals who intimidate or incite hatred towards police officers on social media.

The warning followed the circulation of a photo online showing a police officer operating a long-range acoustic device (LRAD) during the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Lootuvaifi protest. The image is being shared along with the officer’s personal details, threats, and critical remarks.

In a statement released yesterday, the police said that action would be taken against anyone whose behaviour encourages hostility towards individual officers or their families, especially when such conduct disrupts officers’ ability to perform their duties. The police added that those using social media to intimidate officers or interfere with their personal lives would also face legal consequences.

The police emphasised that obstructing or interfering with law enforcement activities, whether physically or otherwise, is punishable under existing laws.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) confirmed that it has launched an investigation into the police’s use of LRADs during the protest. LRADs are high-decibel sound devices commonly used for crowd control and public safety announcements.

A total of eight individuals were arrested during the Lootuvaifi protest. Among them were Addu Hithadhoo Rasgedhara Councilor Hassan Zareer and Mohamed Khalaf Ibrahim, who have since been released. The Criminal Court on Monday extended the remand of six other detainees by 15 days and ordered their transfer to Dhoonidhoo Custodial. Police deployed both LRADs and tear gas to disperse the protesters.

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