The People’s National Congress (PNC) parliamentary group leader and former Minister of Denfese Adam Shareef was arrested on Tuesday evening from an opposition protest.
Following the police intervention on the protest, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and PNC coalition issued a statement and condemned manhandling and arresting the peaceful protesters.
The opposition alleged that the police deployed pepper spray and forcibly entered the rally without warning, resulting in the assault and forceful arrest of protesters.
The opposition criticized the apprehension of female protesters by male officers, while the coalition accused the officers of interfering with the media's work at the scene.
PPM said that Shareef was arrested during the peaceful protests without any prior warning and confiscated pickets, banners, and the sound system that were being used by the opposition during the rally.
The opposition alleged that officers present at the site had acted aggressively and caused damage to the equipment on the pick-up.
In its statement, the PPM/PNC coalition urged local law enforcement authorities to act within the legal boundaries and refrain from infringing any laws "despite the orders from President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih". The coalition also called for the immediate release of Shareef and other members who were arrested.
While some members were reported to have been arrested during the protest, the exact number of arrests made remains unclear.
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