Hassan Zihan remanded in Maldives over social media posts

Hassan Zihan, a former Deputy Minister of Transport and former First Lieutenant in the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), has been remanded in custody for 15 days following his arrest in Fuvahmulah. The arrest follows a Facebook post in which Zihan questioned why the Maldives' primary state institutions—the President’s Office, the People’s Majlis (Parliament), and the Supreme Court—had not been burned to the ground.

Zihan reportedly made the comments in response to news regarding unrest in Albania, suggesting that attacking such institutions would be “fun” or “entertaining.” Although he deleted the post approximately one hour after publishing it, the Fuvahmulah Magistrate Court ordered his detention to allow police to continue their investigation.

Zihan’s professional background includes serving as a naval architect within the MNDF, having graduated from the United States Naval Academy. His career has been marked by political friction; he was previously demoted and dismissed from the military during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a move supporters claim was politically motivated. He was also dismissed from his role at the Ministry of Transport in 2024 and has since been a vocal critic of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration.