In early December 2023, private information allegedly originating from Maldivian Prosecutor General Office lawyer Ahmed Shafeeu was leaked onto social media. This included private messages and explicit photos which have been used to accuse him of being in a homosexual relationship. This information was spread by prominent twitter accounts, some who would later delete their tweets after the damage was done such as Hassan Kurusee (@HKurusee). This information has been used to start a wide reaching targeted harassment campaign against him and by extension fan the flames of hatred against gay and queer Maldivians. 

Please note that we are not commenting on Ahmed Shafeeu’s sexuality or implying that he is gay or queer. That is their business and theirs alone. Furthermore there is no proof that any of these “leaked” images are even real. They may well be doctored. However, the targeted harassment they are facing is entirely based on the assumption that they are a “firihen kulhi”, which is a Maldivian homphobic slur for gay men (literally meaning “male play”). Homophobic harassment campaigns like this are never just against the individual being targeted. They are always part of wider attacks on the gay and queer communities the target is being accused of belonging to.

Being queer and Maldivian is stressful and anxiety inducing on the best of days. When active hate campaigns like this are going on, that stress multiplies. Queer Maldivians that are already living guarded lives will feel the need to become even more vigilant. Double and triple checking every interaction they have, every trace – both digital and physical – they have ever left behind, lest they too were to become targeted in this manner. This is not living. The refusal of successive Maldivian governments to even acknowledge the existence of queer and gay Maldivians is abhorrent and inexcusable. And of course, this is without mentioning the complete lack of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. It is of course then no surprise that the first thing gay and queer people are accused of is being laadheenee or irreligious. Most Maldivians must find the concept of queer and gay Maldivian Muslims quite perplexing.

To make matters worse for Ahmed Shafeeu, there is a grudge against him, especially by religious fanatics, as he was part of the team that was responsible for prosecuting the extremist sheiks behind the attacks on participants of a International Yoga Day Event in Malé in 2022. This lends weight to the theory that some of the images have been further doctored to be even more offensive to Maldivian sensibilities.

In the tweet below, Maldivian extremist account Shervin (@hiyerlu) posts a lengthy video compiling texts and images that are allegedly from Ahmed Shafeeu’s and his alleged lovers phone. He says (translated from Dhivehi): Under MDN* Shameem the PG Office has become a hive of homosexuality. The lead prosecutor for the state in the yoga case @shafeeuAhmedd is the leader of a network of homosexuals. [*Maldivian Democracy Network, a now banned human rights NGO]

Another extremist account, @TedinMaldives, asks “this is that yoga kufuru guy right?”, to which Shervin responds “Yes, the team leader for the PG lawyers for the yoga case”.

Another Maldivian extremist account, محمد إبراهيم [Mohamed Ibrahim] (@mhmd16877556) posted an image macro that has been circulating around Maldivian social networks. It appears to describe the leak as some kind of divine retribution.

In the tweet below, Maldivian extremist account (you might be noticing a pattern here) Abdhullah (@_Abdhullah_) references the above image.

The tweet he is quoting is from another set of messages being circulated where Ahmed Shafeeu is allegedly defending himself. It is mysterious as to why this set of messages is being regarded as “fake”, while the others are being seen as divine truth.

The images being referenced have already been widely circulated and are being regarded as enough proof by Maldivians to call for the death penalty. This is demonstrated in the tweet below by Maldivian extremist account Abu Khalid (@AbuKhalidMV) who says that it is a religious obligation (wajib) for “those in authority” to hand down the death sentence to Ahmed Shafeeu whom he describes as a “prophet mocker”. The image he shared is an alleged selfie where the words “I am keerithi rasoola” [translated: “I am the holy prophet”] has been superimposed.

A reply to the above delights in carrying out multiple punishments.

Another reply says (translated from Dhivehi latin): “Doesn’t seem like we will be able to establish hadd here. Dhivehi citizens want to have the law of kufuru here. There will be no punishment in that for insulting the holy prophet. And then when some people go out and behead someone they will say this it’s being extremist!!” This is possibly a reference to journalist and human rights activist Ahmed Rilwan, who was abducted and then allegedly murdered at sea by beheading in 2014. Or possibly the attempt on Hilath Rasheed’s life in 2012, when the journalist barely survived having his throat slashed.

The grudges spill beyond the yoga prosecutions and pro Abdulla Yameen accounts pile on to the moral panic. Pro Yameen account Miboo (@Miboo_mv) says in a bizarre poem (translated from Dhivehi): “PG lawyer, man, how are you living, like giri? Like gili gili [tickling]? We are seeing the standards of the lawyer involved in persecuting President Yameen, we are seeing sorrow, is this justice”?

This is just a small sampling of the deluge of posts about this on Maldivian social media. Such campaigns are a common, almost weekly occurrence. The public nature of Ahmed Shafeeu’s work with the PG Office has pushed this particular hate campaign to previously unseen levels of hysteria and panic.

We urge the Maldivian government to recognise gay and queer Maldivians and to give us the rights and safety that other Maldivians take for granted. This is the only way to ensure the protection of not only queer Maldivians, but also those wrongfully accused of being so. Otherwise queer and gay identities will be used as a tool for politics and fear. There is no “keeping it to yourself” when an entire nation is constantly stalking you.