Two female members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have accused the Maldives Police Service of leaking their private photo and videos after police seized their phones in separate incidents.Aishath Shimon Ahmed, 20, a youth member of the MDP, said a private photo from her phone was leaked on social media less than 24 hours after it was taken by police.
According to Shimon, she was stopped near her home in Malé late on Wednesday night when police officers surrounded her and took her phone without showing a warrant.
“Police cornered me near my house and grabbed my phone. They didn’t show a warrant at first,” she said. “Later, they brought one and accused me of posting something on social media that they claimed was a threat to President Mohamed Muizzu.”
Shortly after the seizure, a private photo of Shimon was posted from an anonymous account on X (formerly Twitter). The account was later suspended after multiple users reported it for violating the platform’s rules.
Shimon accused the police of leaking the image.
“That data was only on my phone. Nowhere else. Police took my phone and within 24 hours the photo was leaked. That information could not come from anywhere else,” she said.
Another MDP Member’s Videos Leaked
In a similar case, Fathimath Zahiyya (Zaya), an MDP National Assembly member and President of the Hulhumalé North Constituency, said her personal videos were leaked online soon after police took her phone last Tuesday.
Zaya said she had received a notification that someone tried to access her Snapchat account just before police arrived.
“I have a screenshot showing someone trying to log into my Snapchat from near the Sea Tracks building. Then police came and confiscated my phone,” she said.
Zaya said her phone contains sensitive information, including private photos of friends and family.
“No one else had those videos. Only my phone did. I have been active in politics for years — why would there be a leak now?” she asked.
Police said Zaya’s phone was taken under a Criminal Court order, following a police intelligence report accusing her of posting threats against law enforcement officers on Facebook. The case is being investigated by the theft cases department.
Both Shimon and Zaya believe these incidents are politically motivated attempts to intimidate female opposition figures.
The MDP has condemned the leaks, calling them a “gross abuse of power” and demanding an independent investigation into the role of the police in both cases.
