Former MDP president and former Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has been taken into police custody under a court order on suspicion of sexually abusing a person under the age of 18. He was arrested at 21:59 on Monday night.
Shahid has served for more than 40 years in foreign policy, parliamentary leadership and international leadership roles.
He began his public service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984, and in the 1990s served as Executive Secretary and Advisor to then-President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
In 2000, he was elected to the People's Majlis as a member for Vaavu Atoll. He also played a role in the Special Majlis that drafted the new Constitution, and served as the 16th Speaker of the People's Majlis from 2009 to 2014.
Shahid served two terms as Foreign Minister, under President Maumoon (2007–2008) and under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (2018–2023). In 2021, he was elected President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, raising the Maldives' profile on the international stage.
In politics, Shahid joined the MDP in 2013 and became the party's president in February 2024. However, he resigned as party president in August 2026 to contest the MDP's presidential primary for the 2028 presidential election.
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