The Maldivian police arrested a State environment minister on Thursday (June 27th) after she was accused of performing “black magic” on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem, the state minister for environment, climate change, and energy, was apprehended in Male, along with two others who are said to have assisted her, local reports claim.
As per the reports, she has been held in detention for a week pending investigations without providing any specifics about her arrest. “There have been reports that Shamnaz was arrested for performing black magic on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu,” reported the Sun, a local media outlet.
Maldives Minister Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem suspended for performing black magic on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, reports Maldives Media. https://t.co/EBqLKbZHY9
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 27, 2024
Her position is critical in a country at the forefront of the climate catastrophe, with UN environmental experts warning that rising sea levels could render it uninhabitable by the end of the century.
Reports mention that sorcery is not a criminal violation under the Maldives’ penal code, but it is punishable by a six-month jail sentence under Islamic law. Traditional rites are widely practiced throughout the archipelago, with the belief that they can earn favors or curse opponents.
Earlier, a 62-year-old woman was stabbed to death by three neighbors on Manadhoo in April 2023 after being accused of carrying out black magic practices, following a protracted police inquiry.
Shamnaz is the wife of Adam Rameez, a minister in the President’s Office who has also been suspended.
Shamnaz had previously served on the Male City Council alongside President Muizzu when he was the city’s mayor. However, following his election to office last year, Shamnaz withdrew from the council and was appointed as a state minister at Muliaage, the president’s official house. She was eventually reassigned to the Environment Ministry.
The administration has yet to make an official remark on the case.
