Harassment and terrorizing on social networking platforms have become commonplace and people no longer find it troubling, said Ahmed Tholaal, the former deputy human rights commissioner of the Maldives who now works at Transparency Maldives.

In an interview to RaajjeMV on Sunday night, Tholaal especially focused on local authorities reportedly neglecting to take threatening messages sent online seriously. He highlighted that the Maldives Police Service had failed to investigate such messages that murdered writer Yameen Rasheed had reportedly received despite having had filed multiple cases with the institution.

Tholaal further said that while he repeatedly sees users on Twitter tagging the local police and reporting threats they have received, officers have yet to investigate any of them. He stressed that the police have a legal duty to probe such matters.

He added that becoming insensible towards such assault is not only detrimental to local political spheres – therefore not serving any purpose – but genuinely dangerous to members of society.

Tholaal also said that citizens now see the police more keenly pursuing politically motivated investigations, such as insults against and speculations made about individuals holding prominent positions.