Chief prosecutor assaulted with hammer in Maldives

The top criminal prosecutor in the Maldives was recovering from an assault with a hammer Wednesday, a rare attack against a public official in the upmarket archipelago tourist destination. Hussain Shameem was on his way to work when an unidentified attacker pounced on him and injured his left arm, a police official told AFP. In a post on Facebook, Shameem said he was back home with his family and vowed to keep up his work, also sharing a photo of himself with his arm in a sling.

“I was attacked this morning... fractured my left hand,” he wrote, without giving further details of the incident. “Back home with family... will be back at work stronger and be back running, cycling and swimming even faster.” The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said the attack was politically motivated. But police said they suspected a link to criminal prosecutions handled by Shameem, a senior lawyer promoted to the top job in 2019.

The attack on him came three days after violent scenes in parliament when legislators rejected the appointment of three cabinet posts, including the position of attorney general. Ruling party legislators attempted Sunday to block a vote by the main opposition — who with their allies hold the majority in parliament — on the cabinet appointed by recently elected President Mohamed Muizzu.

Videos shared on social media showed at least one lawmaker bleeding from the neck after being caught up in a violent scrum inside the chamber, leading to the temporary suspension of business. Legislators were seen yanking off microphones and using plastic trumpets to disrupt proceedings in chaotic scenes.