Former Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was arrested on Monday, November 2, on charges of child sexual abuse. Police took him into custody following a court order. Mr. Shahid, a key presidential aspirant for the 2028 elections, has denied these allegations. He previously served as the UN General Assembly President.
The arrest assumes significance as Mr. Shahid is among the prominent presidential aspirants within the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for the island nation's 2028 elections
Former Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was arrested late on Monday (November 2, 2026) on charges of child sexual abuse, the Maldives Police said.
Mr. Shahid has denied the allegations, local media said. He was arrested around 10 p.m. local time following a court order.
The arrest assumes significance as Mr. Shahid -- who served as President of the United Nations General Assembly in 2021-22 -- is among the prominent presidential aspirants within the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for the island nation's 2028 elections.
Mr. Shahid, who was in New Delhi recently, criticised President Mohamed Muizzu's visit to Pakistan in media interviews, accusing him of steering the Maldives in an "anti-India" direction.