Activist Shiman’s phone returned by police

Police have returned the phone of opposition activist Aishath Shiman Ahmed, which had been seized in connection with an alleged social media post threatening President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

The phone was confiscated on 8 October under a court order. The order stated that the seizure was linked to a comment Shiman made on X on 20 September, which deemed to contain a death threat against the President.

Criminal Court also required her to provide passwords and patterns needed to access the phone’s data.

Police handed the phone back to Shiman yesterday, though no further details about the investigation have been released.

Shiman was previously arrested during youth led protests in Male' on 18 April, following the fall of Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed from H. Fentenoy to the roof of H. Mitaazge.

She was charged with obstructing a law enforcement officer, but was later offered an advisory agreement by the Prosecutor General’s Office, allowing her release without prosecution.