Zihaan arrested over social media posts about arson
Earlier in the day, police said they were investigating comments he had made on Facebook concerning the three institutions.
Police have arrested former Deputy Minister of Transport Hassan Zihaan over Facebook posts in which he made remarks about setting fire to the Supreme Court, the President's Office and Parliament.
Police confirmed on Tuesday evening that Zihaan had been arrested in Fuvahmulah in connection with an investigation into the posts.
Earlier in the day, police said they were investigating comments he had made on Facebook concerning the three institutions.
Zihaan, a former First Lieutenant in the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), had questioned why people in the Maldives could not set fire to the Supreme Court, the President's Office and Parliament, suggesting that doing so would be entertaining.
His remarks followed an Al Jazeera report about a fire at Albania's Supreme Court amid protests against the Albanian government.
Sharing the report on Facebook, Zihaan asked, "When will it be our turn?"
In another post, he questioned why similar incidents could not take place at the three Maldivian institutions.
Police subsequently launched an investigation into the statements before confirming his arrest later that evening.
Zihaan previously served as Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's administration. He was dismissed from the position in 2024.
Since his dismissal, he has frequently criticised the current administration.
Before his appointment as Deputy Minister, Zihaan served in the MNDF as a naval architect with the rank of First Lieutenant.
He was dismissed from the military during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, after which he also became a critic of the then government.
Police have not disclosed further details about the investigation or the specific offences being investigated.
