No undressing required for opposition activists, police clarify after misreported court order

Mariyam Zubair and Ahmed Saleem were told to appear for the police to “take voice samples and photographs of the body’s exterior excluding sex organs”, multiple outlets reported, citing summons notice that also circulated on social media.  

“To prevent ambiguity, when courts issue warrants authorising the collection of non-invasive samples – such as photographs for the purpose of comparison with surveillance footage – they typically include an explicit caveat,” police explained after facing criticism and outrage. 

“This caveat clarifies that the warrant does not extend to the capture of intimate samples and authorises only the photographing of non-intimate areas. This practice is widely adopted in the Maldives to ensure precision in the scope of warrants and to safeguard against the unauthorised collection of intimate samples under the guise of non-invasive procedures.”

The Maldivian Democratic Party activists are under investigation over alleged child rights violations in connection with their statements about the president’s teenage son. The summons were issued “in connection with an ongoing investigation into a case submitted by the Children’s Ombudsperson’s Office,” the police said.

But the Ombudsperson’s Office denied seeking a criminal investigation over the remarks made during an MDP protest on March 13. When the live broadcast had been brought to the Ombudsperson’s attention, she only asked the police to ensure that children’s private information is not disclosed and that their rights are not violated during demonstrations subject to the freedom of assembly law, the office said.  

The police statement came after the investigation was linked to the first lady’s legal action against Mariyam Zubair.

“Extremely concerned by the reports that the Criminal Court, on request of Maldives Police Service, has ordered that Mariyam Zubair and Marz Saleem should be stripped and photographed, in connection with the court case lodged by the First Lady,” MDP President Abdulla Shahid tweeted on Sunday. 

But the police case was entirely unrelated to First Lady Sajidha Mohamed’s lawsuits against the MDP activist at the civil court and family court, which were “filed solely as civil cases”, her lawyer clarified on Sunday night, expressing concern over the “spread of misinformation” concerning the legal proceedings.

“These are not criminal cases. They do not involve any criminal investigation,” Azima Shukoor stressed. “The purpose of these cases remain firmly focused on protecting the rights, dignity and wellbeing of a child from being targeted in political discourse.”  

Mariyam Zubair is accused of harming a child’s dignity with her claims about the teenager’s alleged vaping leading to the government’s e-cigarette ban. Saleem is accused of encouraging and repeating the allegations. 

The pair had been due to appear on Saturday but the police called and cancelled, Saleem told Dhauru.