Two women arrested for protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza were released from custody on Wednesday, on the condition that they refrain from protesting near embassies.
Aishath Shadhiya, 47, the wife of prominent scholar Dr Mohamed Iyaz, and Dr Shazra Ibrahim, 36, had been protesting daily against Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza. The two were detained on 28 August for allegedly disrupting activities at diplomatic missions and the residences of ambassadors in the capital, Malé.
The Maldives Police Service (MPS) stated that the arrests were made under a court order, citing violations of the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act. The protests reportedly took place near the British and German embassies, the UN Offices in the Maldives, and the residences of the British and Saudi ambassadors. However, police have not confirmed which embassies lodged complaints.
The Criminal Court initially remanded Shadhiya and Ibrahim into custody for three days, later extending the detention by five days on Sunday before their eventual release.
The arrests marked the first time demonstrators have been detained for protesting in support of Palestine in the Maldives, sparking condemnation from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Adhaalath Party. The opposition criticised the government’s response and called for the immediate release of the women. Meanwhile, the government defended the police’s actions, maintaining that protests should not impede diplomatic activities or harass foreign diplomats.
This incident occurred amid mounting public discontent over the government’s failure to fulfil its promise to ban Israeli nationals from entering the country.
