Court Orders 15-Day Remand for Man Accused of 18-Month Public Nuisance
Ahmed Fairish was taken into custody following widespread public outcry over unaddressed anti-social behaviour – Photo: CCTV Footage Screenshot, Mohamed Saeed
The Criminal Court has ordered a 15-day custodial remand for a 43-year-old man accused of subjecting a Malé neighbourhood to continuous harassment for over 18 months, leading a local resident to call off a 35-hour hunger strike outside Henveiru police station.
The suspect, identified as Ahmed Fairish of Noovil, HA. Hoarafushi, was taken into custody following widespread public outcry over unaddressed anti-social behaviour along Kashimaa Hingun and Dhoohimeri Magu.
The Criminal Court issued a remand order directing that Fairish be held in a custodial prison from 18 October to 2 November, noting that his detention was necessary as releasing him under Maldivian law posed a threat to public safety.
The arrest follows a high-profile demonstration by Mohamed Saeed, who initiated a hunger strike outside Henveiru Police Station to protest institutional inaction regarding the suspect.
Residents alleged that Fairish, who reportedly struggles with substance abuse, had routinely disrupted the area by hurling rubbish, oil, and water from his balcony, throwing plastic bottles at pedestrians, shouting throughout the night, and trespassing into secure residential premises.
According to Saeed, multiple state bodies including the Maldives Police Service, the National Drug Agency (NDA), the Home for People with Special Needs (HPSN), and the Prosecutor General’s Office had previously cited jurisdictional, clinical, or evidentiary constraints in addressing the issue despite receiving numerous formal reports and video evidence over a 1.5-year period.
Saeed called off his demonstration following the court’s remand decision and direct intervention by Minister of Homeland Security Ali Ihusan.
“I express my gratitude to Home Minister Ali Ihusan for the personal commitment he made,” Saeed stated in a Facebook post. “I will monitor these matters vigilantly to ensure that these promises are fully translated into practical action.”
The Maldives Police Service reaffirmed that while hunger strikes inside police facilities are prohibited, law enforcement authorities remain actively engaged with inter-agency stakeholders to take all lawful measures within their legal mandate to preserve public safety.
