Party claims Maldivians were questioned and warned not to attend President’s community meeting

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Monday expressed concern over what it described as intimidation and questioning of Maldivians living in Sri Lanka during President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s ongoing official visit.

In a statement, the MDP said it had received information that Sri Lankan police had questioned four Maldivians, including an individual who previously worked at the Maldivian High Commission during the former administration. According to the party, the individuals were questioned about their political views on the President.

The MDP said Sri Lankan police had also advised the Maldivians not to attend the community meeting scheduled with the President and attempted to obtain their signatures on statements written in Sinhala.

The party alleged that the actions were carried out on the orders of the current Maldivian government or in coordination with it, claiming the incidents amounted to attempts to influence Maldivians living abroad for political purposes. The statement said Sri Lankan police searched the personal belongings and phones of some individuals for more than two hours.

The MDP said the incidents raised serious questions about the monitoring of political views by the Maldivian High Commission in Sri Lanka and the conduct of the Maldivian government abroad. The party stressed that the actions went beyond the scope of routine security checks typically conducted ahead of high‑level visits.

The MDP called for an immediate end to what it described as surveillance and intimidation of Maldivians living overseas, noting that Maldivians abroad are entitled to all rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The party also urged the government to fully disclose its actions during the visit and ensure that no one is subjected to unlawful measures for expressing political opinions.

A television program aired on Monday featured a phone interview with a man who said Sri Lankan police had visited the home of a family long residing in Sri Lanka. He said six officers were present when he arrived home on Sunday and showed him photographs of four individuals along with a document listing their addresses in Malé and Sri Lanka.

He said one of the photos was of himself, while the others included a former staff member of the Maldivian High Commission during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. According to him, police asked whether he had received an invitation from the High Commission and told him not to attend the meeting with the President. He said he was threatened with arrest if he attended.

The man said he asked the officers who had sent them, and was told they were acting on instructions from their “guardians,” which he interpreted as a reference to the Maldivian High Commission. He said he signed a written statement in Sinhala despite not understanding the language.

He further claimed that the four photos shown by police were of individuals opposed to the government. He said police also visited the home of the former High Commissioner, confiscated phones and searched the residence, including the toilet flush tank, spending about two hours at the location.

He alleged that the purpose of the visits was to prevent Maldivians from questioning or speaking to the President during his visit to Sri Lanka.