Ahmed Adeeb, the Vice President of Maldives, is charged with high treason after being accused of plotting to assassinate President Yameen Abdul Gayoom. His arrest is in connection to an explosion at the President’s boat. The explosion took place on September 28th as President Gayoom returned to the capital from the airport, located on a separate island. Gayoom and his wife were returning from a hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Gayoom escaped safely but his wife, an aide and a bodyguard were injured. Adeeb was arrested at the airport when he returned home from an official visit to China. According to official police spokesman Ismail Ali, he is arrested "on suspicion of involvement in the boat blast”. Maldivian Officials claimed that foreign intelligence agencies had deemed the explosion an assassination attempt. Adeeb's lawyer, Hussain Shameem, denied the allegations against the Vice President. "The Vice President has said that he has no involvement in the incident and asked not to make it political," he told reporters. His lawyer claims that Adeeb’s advisors recommended him to stay in China until this situation resolved, but Adeeb chose to return to Maldives in order to prove his innocence. After Adeeb’s arrest on October 24th, President Gayoom appealed to the country to stay calm. This situation escalated the young democracy’s already unstable political situation. Last year, Maldives was ranked #22 by Business Insider as among “the most miserable places in the world”, despite its international reputation as home of luxury resorts. This dramatic incident marked the latest in a series of political turmoil and coup d’etats in the Maldives.

This article was written by Joanne Chun. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Molhu Photographer