Case filed against MDA leader after calling to hang Thulhaadhoo MP Hisaan

Cases against Meedhoo constituency MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed has been filed at the police, defence ministry as well as the parliament’s committee on privileges and ethics, after he called to hang and kill Thulhaadhoo constituency MP Hisaan Hussain.

The People’s Majlis has confirmed that cases have been filed at the relevant institutions.

The verbal attack took place at Sunday’s meeting of the parliament’s committee on national security services or the 241 committee, and an audio clip was leaked online the next day.

In the clip, the voice alleged to be Siyam, also the leader of opposition Maldivian Development Alliance (MDA), is heard saying “Hisaan must really be hanged, [doing so] will not be a sin”.

Vilufushi constituency MP Hassan Afeef who presided over Tuesday’s parliament sitting announced that Hisaan had brought the matter to the Speaker’s attention. Condemning the act, Afeef said that such behaviour is unacceptable from a lawmaker.

The 241 committee is currently doing a probe of the security breach that led to an assassination attempt on Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed in early May. While both MPs Hisaan and Siyam are on the committee, Siyam -who has not been attending sittings for days- started attending the committee meetings after the May 6 attack was placed on its agenda. The MDA leader is known to not attend sittings and related committee work, despite holding a parliament seat for multiple tenures; he has had one of the worst attendance records.