Former deputy minister taken into custody after Facebook post inciting violence against state institutions

Former Deputy Minister Hassan Zihan has been arrested for calling for arson of the President’s Office, Parliament and Supreme Court buildings. 

Police spokesperson Ahmed Shiyam confirmed to Sun that Zihan was taken into custody following the post he made on Facebook.

In the post, Zihan questioned “how come” the buildings housing the offices of the three state powers are not set on fire and encouraged such an act. He also wrote that it “would be fun.” The post was deleted from Facebook about an hour after it was published.

Zihan is a former MNDF First Lieutenant and previously served as Deputy Minister at the Transport Ministry. He graduated from the US Naval Academy and worked as a naval architect for the MNDF before being discharged late in the previous administration. His close associates claim he was removed from the army for criticizing the then-government.

He was later appointed Deputy Minister of Transport by the government of Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, but was subsequently removed from the post.