Abbas charged with threatening catastrophe over arson calls on India Embassy

The state has charged Abbas Adil Riza with threatening catastrophe, under the Property Damage and Destruction Offences of the Penal Code.

The charges were filed in relation to the comments he made during a discussion on the app Clubhouse where he encouraged arson, as well as his tweets calling to set fire to the Indian High Commission in the Maldives.

If convicted, the punishment for the charges levied against him is one year, seven months, and six days in jail.

Abbas, who also served as a senior staff member at the Maldives Embassy in Malaysia during former President Abdulla Yameen's administration, was initially arrested on December 25, 2022, for his tweets. He was released on January 13, 2023, after the Criminal Court extended his remand twice.

Speaking on the Clubhouse app on December 22, 2022, Abbas expressed dissatisfaction with the way Yameen was being tried at the Criminal Court and spoke in a manner that incited violence. He had called on his audience to gather items such as petrol and barbed wire and to set fire to the high commission.

The following day, he posted photos of the arson incidents in various parts of Addu City following the abrupt change of former President Mohamed Nasheed's government in 2012 and claimed that these attacks were on the orders of India. He then went on to say that the damage was not compensated, and that "I think we should start with the Embassy."

When the controversy over his tweet erupted, he initially said he was not active on social media and denied that the tweets were made from his real account. However, when police seized his phone after his arrest, it was confirmed that the account was used by Abbas.