
Police probe death threat against lawyer Mahfooz
Police have confirmed that they are investigating the threat.
The Maldives Police Service has launched an investigation into a social media threat made against lawyer and opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) National Assembly member Mahfooz Saeed.
A post from an account on X (formerly Twitter), operating under the name "Roohu Ali", tagged Mahfooz Saeed and asked, “Should I knife you?” Mahfooz shared a screenshot of the post on his social media account.
In response, Mahfooz wrote, “I am very pleased that you have immediately requested my consultation on such an important matter. There is no legitimate reason to do such a thing.”
Police have confirmed that they are investigating the threat.
Mahfooz has previously been subjected to physical attacks. In September 2015, he was stabbed in the head while seated on a bicycle in Malé. Four individuals were charged in connection with the incident:
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Hussain Shafraz Ibrahim and Ahmed Raid were charged with attempted murder.
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Sena Khalid Nafiu and Firaz Jaufar were charged with participation in attempted murder.
The Criminal Court, in December 2022, ruled that the charges were not proven.
Mahfooz has served as legal counsel in multiple constitutional matters before the Supreme Court. Notably, he represented former President Abdulla Yameen in the Supreme Court case against the Election Commission concerning his disqualification from contesting the 2023 presidential election. He also represented former MP and lawyer Ali Hussain in a petition seeking the annulment of a constitutional amendment.