April 18 Protest Leaders Decline Cautioning Deal — But Prosecutors Say Option Still Available

MV+ News Desk | July 5, 2025
Aishath Shiman and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, two prominent youth activists who led protests demanding justice for a 21-year-old woman who fell from a building in Malé on April 18, have been officially charged.

Youth activists Aishath Shiman and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, who led nationwide protests demanding justice for a 21-year-old woman who fell from a building in Henveiru on April 18, have refused a Conditional Cautioning Agreement offered by the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office. However, officials have confirmed that the opportunity remains open if the two decide to reconsider before trial proceedings advance.
In a post on social media platform X, PG Office spokesperson and lawyer Ahmed Shafeeu stated that the deal was offered under Section 100 of the Criminal Procedure Code but was declined by both Shiman and Mahzoom. “This opportunity still remains open,” Shafiu wrote, emphasising that the Conditional Cautioning Agreement requires the accused to agree not to commit similar offenses during the cautionary period.


The two activists, who played a central role in organizing and leading the protests, were arrested following confrontations with police and placed in judicial custody. They were later released but have since been formally charged with criminal offenses related to their conduct during the demonstrations.
According to the chargesheet, Mahzoom has been charged under Section 120B(3) of the Penal Code, which criminalizes the use of force or assault against law enforcement or military personnel. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of one year, seven months, and six days, with a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
Shiman has been charged under Section 532A of the Penal Code for obstructing law enforcement officers from performing their official duties. The charge carries a minimum sentence of four months and 24 days, with a maximum of one year.
Both activists have vocally rejected the charges. In a defiant response on X, Mahzoom stated, “Regardless of the threats you make, the efforts of the reform movement cannot be halted. This indictment reveals that justice does not exist in the nation!”

Shiman, a known social justice advocate, also dismissed the allegations as fabricated. “All of this occurred live on television. There is no room for falsehoods,” she wrote. “They assaulted Mahzoom, tore his shirt, and pushed him to the ground. They charged at us without warning. They made unlawful arrests and detained us. Now they are accusing us of the very acts they committed. Absolutely ridiculous.”

Protest vs. Prosecution: Double Standards?

The criminal charges against the youth leaders have intensified public frustration, especially in light of the comparatively lenient treatment of Raudh Ahmed Zilal — the main suspect in the April 18 case.

Raudh, who was with the 21-year-old woman when she fell from a ninth-floor building, has only been charged with failing to assist a person in danger without justifiable reason — an offense that carries a jail term of six days to one month. Having already spent more than a month in custody, Raudh was released based on the PG Office’s recommendation that his remand period had exceeded the likely sentence.

He was initially arrested on April 24, six days after the woman was discovered critically injured on the rooftop of a warehouse in Henveiru. Although he was issued a 20-day remand on May 20, procedural missteps led to his release two days later. He was immediately re-arrested under a new court order, but the confusion led to a cancelled High Court hearing.

Police have indicated that Raudh may have been intoxicated at the time of the incident and have not ruled out the possibility of sexual exploitation. However, no additional charges have been filed against him.

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