Former Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid's legal team has appealed the court order for his arrest on charges of child sexual abuse at the High Court. 

The appeal case was accepted and registered at the High Court today. 

Shahid was arrested on Monday night. Police announced his arrest under a court order in a statement, which said that he is being charged with sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 18. 

On Tuesday, Shahid was presented in court for his remand hearing. The court ordered for him to be held in remand in custody for 30 days. 

Last night, Police searched Shahid's residence, H. Rabee'i Manzil, under a court order. 

Minutes before the arrest, Shahid shared a post on X stating that defamatory claims being made against him are untrue, and appealed to refrain from spreading unfounded rumours. He claimed that these were false allegations being raised against him with the political intent of character assassination. 

On the international platform, Shahid has previously served as President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. In the Maldives, Shahid filled the post of Foreign Minister twice, during the administrations of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Shahid also served as a parliamentarian for 23 years, having once been elected Speaker of Parliament as well. 

He also served as President of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party. He resigned from the post after announcing his intention to run in the party's primaries to secure the ticket for the upcoming 2028 presidential elections. 

Shahid joined the MDP in April, 2013. Prior to this, he was part of Gayoom's Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).