The Maldives Police Service has attested that Ali Hashim, a Maldivian Democratic Party activist popularly known as ‘Smith’, was released after interrogation.

Police said that reports in the media are misleading and that he was not kept in incarceration longer than necessary.

Following Smith’s arrest on the 21st of this month, supporters of the party had called for his release. Smith was remanded for seven days but released on Thursday.

Smith was arrested over allegations of assaulting Ahmed Siddique, a member of the Progressive Party of Maldives’ council.