“Police crushed Solah’s finger after arrest, denied medical treatment for over a day”
Salah suffered serious injuries including a crushed thumb while in police custody during an MDP protest on October 3
Maafushi council president, Hassan Salah’s lawyer, Musthafa Hameed
During the protest held by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the capital Malé City on the night of October 3, Hassan Salah, President of the Maafushi Council, sustained serious injuries while in police custody. His left thumb was reportedly crushed during the arrest, and he was denied medical treatment for over 24 hours despite repeated pleas, according to his legal team.
The incident occurred as police were detaining Salah at the protest site. A police officer allegedly ran up from behind and forcibly pushed him into a police vehicle, resulting in the crushing of his thumb. In addition to the hand injury, Salah also sustained a serious wound to his left rib area.
Despite informing officers of his injuries and repeatedly requesting medical assistance, Salah was not provided with any immediate care. According to his legal representative, medical attention was only given 26 hours after his arrest, when he was finally taken to the police’s Noosandha Clinic.
Salah is reported to have fully cooperated with the police at the time of his arrest and did not resist. His legal team notes that he consistently informed officers of his injuries but was ignored throughout the initial hours of detention.
Visible injuries include a severely damaged thumb and two large wounds on the left side of his torso. His legal team has emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive medical report to document the extent of the injuries. Attempts to obtain the report from police officials have so far been met with silence, despite multiple efforts over the course of an hour to secure cooperation.
Due to the lack of response and apparent obstruction by police authorities, the legal team has announced plans to escalate the case to other relevant institutions for further investigation and accountability.
The incident adds to growing concerns over the use of excessive force by the police during the October 3 protest, as well as the treatment of detainees in custody, issues that continue to raise serious questions about law enforcement conduct and human rights protections in the country.
