Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has charged an individual for allegedly conspiring to conduct a terrorist act as well as for pledging support for the terrorist group ISIS and spreading their messages on social media.
PGO charged Hoodh Mohamed Zahir after he was arrested earlier this year in Villimale’ for spreading ISIS propaganda in the Maldives. He has been charged with five counts under the Anti-Terrorism Act which carry a 34-year prison sentence.
As such, Hoodh has been charged with encouraging terrorism online, which carries a prison sentence of 10-15 years. He has been accused of using different phones and social media accounts to encourage individuals to conduct terrorist acts by harming and killing others and damaging property, as well as sharing photos and videos related to ISIS.
Furthermore, Hoodh has been charged with spreading messages from a terrorist group, which carries a prison sentence of 10-15 years. He is accused of spreading magazines and messages from ISIS on various social media platforms. He has also been charged with joining a terrorist group, which carries a prison sentence of 10-15 years, for being a member of the media operations of ISIS. He is also charged with carrying documents that show support for a terrorist group, which carries a prison sentence of 1-3 years.
Information on Hoodh was disclosed to the Government of the Maldives by international intelligence agencies and his criminal case was formulated with the assistance of various foreign investigative authorities. Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed said Hoodh had been spreading extremism in the Maldives for four years.