Social media activist released after one year in custody
Ahmed Ashraf’s trial resumed on Wednesday after more than one year. The first hearing was held in February 2016. The charge of issuing threats carries a jail sentence of one year, but the teenage social media celebrity has spent a longer period in detention.
05 Mar 2017, 9:00 AM
The criminal court ordered the police on Wednesday to move Ahmed Ashraf, known as Shumba Gong on social media, to house arrest after more than a year in custody.
The 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of links to the September 2015 blast on the president’s speedboat but was later charged with sending threatening text messages to a senior ruling party member.
His trial resumed on Wednesday after more than one year. The first hearing was held in February 2016. Ashraf has denied the charge of issuing threats, which carries a maximum jail sentence of one year, a period shorter than the teenager’s detention.
Two anonymised state witnesses meanwhile testified at last week’s hearing to seeing Ashraf’s threats to Zahid Rameez on the instant messaging platform Viber. Rameez is a member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives’ governing council.
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