Unjust measures will not be taken against police: Home Minister

Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla on Tuesday assured that investigations into the officers from Maldives Police Service's Drug Enforcement Department (DED) will be fair and no unjust measures will be taken against them.

This statement was made amidst public outrage over a video that went viral on social media depicting police officers beating up a suspect last Thursday night before arresting him over drug possession.

The video depicts plain-clothed officers inflicting multiple blows on the suspect, including kicks and jabs after the individual was thrown down and pinned to the ground.

Throughout the video, the person did not exhibit any signs of retaliation and was compliant to the officers' bidding.

Moreover, an officer is seen smashing a concrete block on the man's left wrist, presumably in an attempt to destroy his wristwatch.

Commissioner of Police (CP) Mohamed Hameed announced that seven officers are under suspension regarding the matter, and confirmed that an internal investigation was launched into the case.

Moreover, CP Hameed requested Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and National Integrity Commission (NIC) to conduct independent investigations into the matter.

A tweet by the home minister commended the police commissioner's swift response to the matter, stating that actions were taken within half an hour of receiving the complaint.

Noting that transparency was a key in the current administration's approach and governance, the tweet further stated that the issue was reported to relevant institutions and the public was informed.

Imran iterated that the government will not tolerate any form of torture or injustice.

"I assure that as much as we are against torture we would never take an unjust action against an officer. Hence I request both police officers and the public to refrain from speculations while the investigations are underway", the home minister said.

Following recent events, some police personnel initiated a movement on social media, announcing their solidarity with the DED officers by changing their profile pictures to black backgrounds depicting the words "with DED" in red.