Malé, Maldives – Maldives Police Service has denied all allegations against the authority accusing them of having tortured a Maldivian family arrested in Afghanistan on terrorism charges.
The family arrested in Afghanistan is Ali Shafeeu, H.Moonlight Valley, his wife and 4 kids.
The family is to have departed to Pakistan in October 2018, after traveling to Sri Lanka for medical treatment in June that year. Ali Shafiu and his family entered Afghanistan through Pakistan.
Police said that an investigation conducted with foreign authorities, after reports of the alleged travelling to Pakistan from Lanka, proved that he was active in the country. The family was arrested from Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province on 11th November 2018, and the Maldivian police was informed of this through Interpol.
They were informed that the family had traveled to Afghanistan to join the Islamic State, and that this was proved by the IS “propaganda videos” found on a digital device that was confiscated from him.
Additionally, police also revealed that Ali Shafiu had attempted to flee to Syria with his ex-wife in February 2015. Noting that they were stopped at Velana International Airport, police said that he was arrested in September that year over allegations of weapons possession. He was later released in January 2016, due to lack of evidence.
A special team from Maldives Police Service travelled to Afghanistan to extradite the family back to Maldives. The authority came under fire with allegations on social media that the team of Maldivian policemen tortured and used foul language against Shafeeu and his family in Afghanistan.
Maldives Police Service stated in their press release published last night following the allegations, that the authority denies all the allegations accusing them of having tortured tue family, and noted that they have not done anything which might compromise their sanctity in relation to the case.
Furthermore, Maldives Police Service warned the public, that they will be investigating and taking legal action against those spreading such rumours within the community regarding security services, creating hatred towards the members of the authorities.
