Malé, Maldives – Police arrested two individuals in connection to the abduction and murder of Maldivian journalist Ahmed Rilwan in August 2014.
The two individuals arrested were Ahmed Ismail (Ahad) and Ismail Abdul Raheem Adam (Isu), of whom the former is reported to have played a major role in Rilwan’s disappearance. They were arrested under court warrants by police tactical teams.
Ismail Abdu Raheem, also mentioned in the Presidential Commission on Deaths and Disappearances (DDCOM) report for allegedly causing physical damage to Rilwan’s friend was previously arrested and deported while trying to enter Syria through the Syria-Turkey border.
Ahmed Ismail has criminal records related to drug offences and is reportedly a recruiter for Syrian conflict. He is allegedly the mastermind of the plot to abduct Rilwan.
Rilwan disappeared in August 2014 outside his apartment complex in Hulhumalé. DDCOM’s initial report states Maldivian branch of Al-Gaeda abducted and killed Rilwan after protests and advocating for religious freedom.
DDCOM investigations showed links between Rilwan’s murder and two other high-profile murders in the country; the 2012 murder of parliamentarian Dr Afrasheem Ali, and the 2017 stabbing of Rilwan’s best friend and democracy activist Yameen Rasheed.
