Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed on Monday, apologized for the controversial arrest of a bikini-clad woman in the tourist island of Maafushi, Kaafu Atoll.
On behalf of the parliament, the speaker relayed the message to Cecilia Jastrzembska, assuring that Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed would invite Cecelia to spend a vacation in Maafushi.
Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed also apologised last week for the "badly-handled" arrest, followed by the Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla defending Police's action.
During Public Service Media (PSM)'s 'Raajje Miadhu' programme, Minister Imran defended Police's actions, stating that although the Police received criticisms about the way they handled the arrest, from a security perspective, their actions were not out of line.
A video of the arrest circulating on social media depicted three male officers attempting to cover and handcuff a tourist with disproportionate force on the roads of Maafushi.
A second video was later publicized, revealing moments prior to her violent arrest. The video shows the woman refusing to obey police instructions to cover herself, stating that "anyone gets to my personal space, they gonna have a problem”. She also snatched an officer's sunglasses during the confrontation.
The footage of the incident prompted heavy criticism of the local police. Many stated that while Maldivian culture should be respected, such situations must be handled by female officers and that women must never be inappropriately manhandled even when an arrest is warranted.
As a constitutional Islamic republic, strict dress codes are imposed, especially on inhabited islands. Tourists are prohibited from donning revealing clothing in public, other than in specified locations such as a designated 'bikini beach' on the island.
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