A Maldivian TikTok content creator, Yaaya, has been taken into custody by the Maldives Police Service on Saturday (May 4, 2024). Yaaya was detained after a court order was issued for their arrest following public outrage over videos they share on TikTok dressed in feminine presenting clothing and accessories. 

This is not the first time that Yaaya has come under public scrutiny and judgement over the content they share on TikTok.

Yaaya was first detained by Police in relation to the content they post on social media on September 11, 2021. They remained in Police custody for a month after which they were granted conditional release by the Criminal Court in October 2021. 

Although the condition(s) of their release were not revealed to the public at the time, local news outlet Sun had claimed that Yaaya was released on the condition that they refrain from posting on social media for two months. However, this cannot be confirmed.

At the time Yaaya denied the allegations brought against them by the Maldives Police Service (MPS) – i.e., recording and posting a nude video on TikTok – but had stated that they do in fact dress in feminine presenting attire. This in turn prompted members of the public to issue death threats against them. 

On August 31, 2022, less than a year after their release, Yaaya was taken into custody by the Police for a second time. This was once again in relation to their videos on social media.

Although they were released from Police custody the following day and had denied the allegations brought against them, they were eventually found guilty by the Criminal Court based on the evidence supplied by the State and sentenced to one year and one month in prison on the charges of possession of pornographic material and production of pornographic material.

This latest arrest, coming shortly after their release from serving the aforementioned sentence, is the third time Yaaya has been taken into Police custody.

Yet again, this appears to be prompted by public outrage over their videos on TikTok (and general existence) but this time for “crossdressing and posing as a female” and thereby contravening the Anti-Social Behaviour Act (Law No: 11/2010).

Yaaya has since been placed on 15 days remand in custody by the Criminal Court on May 5, 2024. At the remand hearing Yaaya is reported to have stated that they are exercising their right to freedom of expression.