A machete knife was lodged into the door of the Minivan News building this afternoon shortly after a renowned gangster removed a CCTV camera from outside the building.
An eyewitness saw two men with long hair flee on a motorbike after leaving the knife on the door at around 2:25pm, immediately after the man took down the security camera.
The eyewitness heard the men pound the door with the knife. The rusty machete knife was left in the door of a ground floor apartment of the building.
One Minivan News member has received a threat by SMS in the hours since the attack.
“You will be killed or disappeared next, be careful,” read the message.
Minivan News has lodged the incident and shared footage with police as well as making an official request for protection for its staff and premises.
The man seen attacking the office – wearing a white T-shirt – is clearly identifiable on the CCTV footage as he walks past the door, reaches up and grabs the camera off its perch.
The incident comes shortly after the publication of an investigative report – commissioned by the Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) – into the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan.
The investigation – conducted by Glasgow-based Athena Intelligence and Security – implicated radicalised gangs in Rilwan’s suspected abduction.
Citing the abduction of several young men in June by a vigilante group in a push to identify online activists advocating secularism or professing atheism, the investigation report found gang activity in Rilwan’s abduction to be a “strong possibility.”
The abductions in June followed local media reports of a meeting between Islamic Minister Shaheem and youth groups who expressed concern over insults to Islam online and the promotion of homosexuality.
The man seen attacking Minivan News today appeared to have been part of the group that met both the Islamic minister and Home Minister Umar Naseer prior to the abductions.
“Minivan News is extremely concerned at this blatant attempt to intimidate our staff and damage our premises,” said a spokesman for Minivan News.
“Fortunately, the individual guilty of this attack has clearly been caught on CCTV and so we expect police will have little difficulty in bringing him to justice.”
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
Foreign ministry, US embassy, international organisations condemn attack on Minivan News- Man charged with “sexual misdemeanour” for alleged rape of Thai woman
- Man sentenced to one year in jail for carrying a knife “without a valid reason”
- Dhangethi rape victim suffering from “serious sexual trauma”: Police
- Bangladeshi waiter stabbed while delivering food
- Comment: Did former Maldives leader receive a fair trial?
Let's see the police put into action the training they have received from UK, Australia and the US!
This is the same gang who attacked minivan news,Haveeru and The TV by reporting there movement in Hart of Maldive capitol Male'
Looks like these gangs enjoy full immunity from prosecution, even if police catch these people, they will obviously be released by court the next day. 🙁
This guy is protected by Home Minister Umar Naseer.
Here is a picture of them bonding: http://i0.wp.com/thedailypanic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/kidnap1.jpg
This guy was behind the kidnappings of free speech activists before Rilwan was abducted. The fact that those cases were not reported in any media except Minivan News is even more evidence that he is being protected by the Yameen Administration.
Thank you for voting PPM. Good night and R.I.P.
nothing is going to happen, this is the man who was leading the team which abducted people they believed who were atheists.
even after the police was given ample information regarding the abductors nothing happened.
this man was heard boasting about how he had a hand in the disappearance of Rilwan. and im sad to say that Rilwan might have been murdered and submerged.
now he caught red handed attacking the Minivan new office. the police have all the evidence to apprehend this buffoon. but nothing will happen.
even if this man murdered someone on the street and bathed in the victims blood out in the open, nothing will happen.
this country has become a hellhole. people like these are running free and there is nothing the average person can do about it.
not all police personal are corrupted, i do hope that those who swore to protect us, act upon this, and bring an end to this madness.
@Hero
This is a fabrication by the Indians and Nasheed to villify the good and innocent pure islamic Maldivians for the revenge and jealousy they have in their hearts.
“Fortunately, the individual guilty of this attack has clearly been caught on CCTV and so we expect police will have little difficulty in bringing him to justice.”
Justice was served alright. A 30min chat over tea. Now don't politicise the situation. It's not like he did anything criminal - like watching porn or wearing a see-through dress.
Dumb move by Umarays thug, now put enough pressure and Umaray has to resign or Yameen has to sack him.
Yameen Gundaaas
Here is the reality.... This is a Muslim country whether some like it or not. The fabric of this society is Islamhood in which by it's very principle gay rights and religious freedom have bee given no room. However, the West is against this principle and through it supports MDPs dream of gaining power and reverse these Islamic principles here. If the people of this country want to die Jihadists and wish to go to hell, then it's their problem. Now, those accused of this attack, while trying to restore their view of freedom and Islam as majority in this country see it and wish, it's obstructing MDPs wish to gain a threshold of power here. It is true that they were implicated in former activities involving atheists and homos, they have nothing to do with latter attacks on MDPs interests. They were angered only after their names were published in the British intelligence report on Rlwan accusing them of involvement. Rest of all the attacks were orchestrated by MDP itself in order to frame a group of civil individuals trying to protect civili interest through mediation with original offenders. Say bye to presidency Nasheed. You will not get a second bite as president in this country, come with US or Brits...
The reality is that some ignorant halfwit criminals are on loose. You can’t say that you want live the life of Islam based on the model it was created in the seventh century. Why it is only fundamental Islam you have to stick to, what about your own tradition; Mundu, travel in the bokkura, and live in the palm huts. Why you don’t fight for it which is more Maldivian than 07th century Arab culture. Also, why you don’t fight for dictatorship and kingship and be confined to these remote Islands banned on traveling, trading, even owning a flash light and wearing a sandal? Why your xenophobia is only limited to religions, why you don’t have fear of evolving world with science and technology and global culture. If you have no problem with migrating from your traditional way of life under the control of self proclaimed kings or Khalifa, than you should be prepared to embrace what comes with freedom. If you want be free then you should have capacity to be free, you should have tolerance to digest things that is difficult for your gut to absorb in to your system. And you need education to use logics and reasoning before you open your mouth. Why would MDP want kill people, or destroy their own property to create mayhem when there is no reason for such thing in Maldives. Such policy would not bring them to power, MDP lost in election not because the higher crime and killing rate during their government so they have to show the public that the crime and killing have increased with the current government. MDP lost because they were perceived by the majority of Maldivian as irreligious and the same people now have fear that free media could reverse the ballot box in MDP favour. Since it is not easy to silence free media through legislation or State control it is more reasonable to believe that this form of violence and intimidation is condoned and supported by the current regime because they are the one who are more afraid of free media, as free media is the tool to educate people to use their brain, and once people are free to think by themselves, the dirty politics using religion to subjugate people will have no place in 21st century.
Who are these people to decide what should Maldivian believe? Just leave it to people with flow of information and in the hands of so called super man in sky and let the time be the judge to decide the winner.
@Mohamed
"Here is the reality…. This is a Muslim country whether some like it or not. The fabric of this society is Islamhood in which by it’s very principle gay rights and religious freedom have bee given no room."
But for some reason, child sex slave trading, heroin dealing, murder and even prostitution, involving both genders (even homosexuals) is halaal/legal in this so-called muslim country as long as the servants of the occupational regime does it.
Face it - you're just using Islam as a tool to oppress the weak, steal from the poor and enforce what you think is 'morals'.
PS: Thanks for proving the report by MDN to be spot on. Sometimes, the best verification of facts is by angry outbursts from people like you suffering from jazbaath. 😛
@Mohamed
“Here is the reality…. This is a Muslim country whether some like it or not. The fabric of this society is Islamhood in which by it’s very principle gay rights and religious freedom have bee given no room.
You are so wrong on all accounts. Islam promotes respect for all faiths, nowhere does it declare hatred and abuse of those who follow other faiths. Not my words, but those of the prophet.
Maldivian society follow a twisted, corrupted version of Islam, because they are afraid of free thinking and too stupid to believe people have a choice in life other than one religion.
Sunni side of life is gonna get worse. this won't stop until we become a Syria.. the authorities will take it serious when it starts effecting the buck!