Violence Is Not Freedom of Expression - Ihsaan

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Minister of Homeland Security, Ali Ihusan, made a strong statement on Saturday, clarifying that instigating violence against individuals is not protected as freedom of expression.

Ihusan’s comments came after a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activist, Hussain Shafiu (Thuhthu), was summoned to the Maldives Police Service for allegedly posting threatening messages on social media platform X.

The police issued a summons to Shafiu following the content of his post, which was reported to contain statements perceived as threatening. The move sparked reactions, particularly from the MDP, with its Chairperson, Fayyaz Ismail, expressing frustration over what he described as attempts to silence political dissent.

In a social media exchange, Fayyaz shared his concerns about the police action, which led to a direct response from Minister Ihusan. Ihusan emphasized that any statement which can be construed as a threat to harm another person, such as saying "Don’t be seen anywhere on the road," would be investigated by the relevant authorities.

“If someone made a similar statement at you tomorrow, should we ignore it as simple freedom of expression? And if someone were to assault you on the road, should we ignore it as acting on the same freedom of expression?” Ihusan questioned in his response to Fayyaz on X. "Will this be the status quo in a country under your rule?" he further added.

The Minister affirmed that the authorities would take all necessary actions to ensure public safety and protection, emphasizing that freedom of expression must align with Maldivian laws. Ihusan also reiterated that making everything political was an irresponsible approach, calling for responsibility and adherence to legal norms in public discourse.

Meanwhile, MDP's Fayyaz Ismail countered by accusing autocratic governments of attempting to silence opposition and stifle free speech. He argued that the citizens, particularly MDP members, would continue to express their thoughts without fear, despite such legal summons.

The specific post in question, sent by Shafiu on November 8th at 01:14, led to the police’s action. Shafiu has been ordered to attend an investigation at the Criminal Investigation Building at 13:30 on Sunday to provide a statement regarding the alleged threatening content.

The incident follows similar actions, such as the Local Government Authority (LGA) previously ordering sanctions against the president of GDh. Gadhdhoo council, Mohamed Ahmed, for making derogatory comments about President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

As the situation unfolds, tensions between political figures and state authorities over the boundaries of free expression continue to rise.