Mohamed Shamin, an activist for the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), was released today following his arrest for allegedly entering a restricted zone during a protest held in Malé last month.
Shamin was taken into custody on September 8 on allegations of crossing police barricades at the intersection of Chandhanee Magu and Didi Goalhi during an MDP demonstration on August 28.
He faces three charges in connection with the incident: damaging property, obstructing police officers in the line of duty, and disobeying a lawful order.
Following his arrest, the Criminal Court ordered Shamin to be remanded in custody for 10 days. At the time, the court ruled that he posed a potential threat to public safety, noting that obstructing police duty is classified as a serious offence.
Despite the reasoning in the remand order, the court’s release order stated that the allegations against Shamin do not constitute a major felony. The presiding judge further noted that there was no evidence of property damage or physical injury to any police officer resulting from his actions.
"As the allegations against him do not constitute a major felony, and police have stated that the only remaining part of the investigation is the analysis of CCTV footage, and since it is clear from the submissions that no property was damaged nor any officer physically harmed by his actions," the court order read, detailing the grounds for his release.
Shamin’s release came after his remand period had expired and a second extension had been granted.
This is not the first time Shamin has been detained; he was previously arrested in May during protests held in Malé advocating for journalists' rights. That case also remains under police investigation.
