Maldives Arrests Ex-Foreign Minister On Sexual Assault Charge

Maldivian opposition leader and former foreign minister Abdulla Shahid was arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a child, police said Tuesday.

The 64-year-old was arrested at his home in the capital on Monday night, as he campaigned for his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential primary ahead of the 2028 election.

Shahid also served as president of the United Nations General Assembly for a year, until September 2022.

“On suspicion of sexually abusing a child under the age of 18, Abdulla Shahid was arrested under a court warrant on the night of November 2,” police said in a statement.

Shortly before his arrest, Shahid said the allegations were designed to damage his character ahead of the MDP primaries and presidential election.

“The stories being circulated in a political manner to assassinate my character are completely baseless lies,” he said on X. “I urge everyone not to spread such unsubstantiated claims.”

Shahid is a prominent opposition figure in the tiny Indian Ocean island nation, best known for its luxury tourism industry. The next presidential election is due by September 2028.