Maldives climate minister arrested for ‘black magic’

She will be held in custody for a week pending the completion of the investigation, officials added, without giving details of her arrest.

“There are reports that Shamnaz was arrested for performing black magic on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu,” local media outlet The Sun reported.

The police would neither confirm nor deny the report.

Their position is important in a country that is on the front lines of the climate crisis, with UN environmental experts warning that rising sea levels could make the country virtually uninhabitable by the end of the century.

In the Maldives, a predominantly Muslim state, sorcery is not a crime according to the penal code, but under Islamic law it is punishable by a six-month prison sentence.

Throughout the archipelago, people practice traditional ceremonies in which they believe they can gain favor and curse opponents.

A 62-year-old woman was stabbed to death by three neighbors on Manadhoo in April 2023 after being accused of performing black magic ceremonies, news site Mihaaru reported last week following a lengthy police investigation.

It quoted police as saying they had found no evidence that the murder victim had practiced witchcraft.

In 2012, police cracked down on an opposition political rally after accusing the organizers of throwing a “cursed rooster” at officials who stormed their offices.

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