Maldives Police Service have launched an investigation into former Deputy Transport Minister Hassan Zihan after he publicly suggested setting fire to key state institutions, including the Supreme Court, the President’s Office, and the People’s Majlis.
The probe follows Facebook posts made by Zihan referencing an Al Jazeera news article regarding anti-government unrest in Albania, where protesters set fire to the country’s Supreme Court. Sharing the news report, Zihan questioned why Maldivians could not do the same, writing that arson targeting the state bodies would be “fun.”
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Maldives Police Service confirmed that the remarks have been reported and that authorities are currently investigating the matter.
Following widespread criticism, Zihan deleted the initial posts and issued a follow-up statement denying any intent to commit arson, claiming he was merely “paving the way for the fires of hell.”
“The older generation in the Supreme Court, President’s Office, and Majlis left behind a burnt dump for young millennials and Gen Z,” Zihan wrote in his subsequent post. “The country is already destroyed and turned to ashes; all we have left is a pile of ash.”
Prior to his political appointments, Zihan served as a First Lieutenant and Naval Architect in the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
He was dismissed from the military during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration, prompting him to become a vocal critic of the previous government. Although later appointed as Deputy Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation under the current administration, he was removed from that post in 2024.
