Individuals named as possible suspects in a Maldives Democracy Network (MDN) commissioned report into the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan have filed complaints with the Maldives Police Services.
“[I]ndividuals whose personal information was mentioned in a report by MDN have raised their concerns and some have filed cases with the police alleging that their personal safety & security is at risk and they are receiving threats,” police media officials told Minivan News today.
Ismail Abdul Raheem, accused in the report of having followed Rilwan in February this year and alleged to have attacked blogger Hilath Rasheed in December 2011, filed a complaint with the police yesterday, reported local media.
The investigation was conducted on behalf of MDN by UK-based private security firm Athena Intelligence and Security. The report concluded that the disappearance is likely to have been an abduction, involving local gangs.
Members of the MDN as well as friends and colleagues of Rilwan working with the #Findmoyameehaa campaign have also received threats in the 24 hours since the release of the report.
Gang members identified in the report circulated photos of MDN’s Shahindha Ismail and Rilwan’s family’s lawyer Mushfiq Mohamed on Facebook and asked for more details stating “These two need to be disappeared.” Meanwhile, Twitter accounts of Rilwan’s family members and friends are being circulated online.
The report confirmed evidence of possible “hostile surveillance” at the terminal conducted by two known affiliates of the Malé based Kuda Henveiru gang, naming one as Ahmed Shiran Saeed.
Rilwan was last seen on the 1am ferry travelling to Hulhumalé on August 8. Neighbours reported seeing a man being forced into a car outside Rilwan’s apartment at around 2am.
Citing a series of gang attacks against perceived secularists in June, the report said gang activity in Rilwan’s abduction to be a “strong possibility”.
The report noted increased radical activity among members of three main gangs in Malé – Bosnia, Kuda Henveiru, and Buru – and claimed gang members have participated in attacks against individuals they deem “un-Islamic”.
The report called on the police to further investigate the activities of extremist groups, gangs, and politicians in Rilwan’s disappearance.
The Maldives Police Service has yet to suggest any possible theories or lines of inquiry being followed, last week noting that no “concrete evidence” could be found between Rilwan and the reported abduction outside his apartment shortly after his last sighting.
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I know exactly how this will go down. Investigation into the complaints by the named people will go full speed ahead and MDN will be found guilty. The named gang members will receive police protection. In the meantime, Rilwans disappearance will go without results (as it is right now).
MDN has an excellent reputation for being the most conceited politicized NGO. Its intentions and integrity will never again be trusted by international development agencies.
When gangsters went around falsely accusing people of being laadheenee/secular/anti-government rebels/blahblah, and even ruining their lives - it was not a problem - the human rights of the victims was 'nonexistent'.
DOUBLE STANDARDS. Nothing less.
When MDN releases a report exposing gangsters, gangsters suddenly start whining about their 'human rights'.
This is a message direct to you gang boys. Stop serving as the regime's secret police and go home, or else further operations will be carried out against you.
Interpret this as a threat if you must - but you brought this upon yourselves.
Hilath has also disappeared - in a different sort of way 🙁 http://trooperunlimited.blogspot.com/2014/09/why-maldives-is-truly-lost-cause.html
MDN taking the big plunge for this play. Very risky move that will either make or break its future. Lets wait n see
well they are on the spot, and thats why the perpetrators are agitated and started to threaten more people. because they hate the fact the truth is finally out there. and of course they have full support of our police force so that why they can file reports and act like the victim, and of course our corrupt politicians and police personal will entertain it.
now they left a death threat on Minivan news door. its just shows that minivan news is heading in the right direction.
MDP office was attacked because what Nasheed spoke in their last meeting was true. and that got these so called radical muslims upset and decided to exercise the peaceful religion of islam by threatening to kill them all