Maldives prosecutor general Hussain Shameem stabbed in Male: Report

Maldives prosecutor general Hussain Shameem, who was appointed by former Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government, was brutally attacked by unidentified miscreants in the capital city of Male on Wednesday morning, the local media reported.

The incident reportedly took place when Shameem was on his way to work when an unidentified attacker pounced on him and attacked him with a hammer. The attack caused an injury to the prosecutor's left arm, who is being treated at the ADK hospital in the country. Shameem is in a stable condition, his office said as reported by AFP.

“Prosecutor Hussain Shamim has been attacked on the streets of the city. He is being treated at ADK…The attack was not carried out with a sharp object,” the police said in a statement as quoted by the local media.

This comes amid a massive political standoff between the Maldivian government and the opposition - which is seeking to impeach President Mohamed Muizzu. However, the police said that there was immediate suggestion of a link between the standoff and the attack, adding that they have suspected a link to one of the criminal prosecutions Shammem had handled, reported AFP.

Chaos in Maldives Parliament

On Sunday, the Maldives Parliament witnessed chaotic scenes as key proceedings were disrupted when the ruling alliance clashed with opposition lawmakers. Several videos and photos of the unruly behaviour also went viral on social media. In one such video shared by the local media, a physical altercation between MDP MP Isa and PNC MP Abdullah Shaheem Abdul Hakeem can be seen in which Shaheem gripped Isa's leg, leading to a fall. To this, Isa can be seen responding by kicking Shaheem's neck and pulling his hair.

Maldives govt moves Supreme Court

Meanwhile, the Maldivian government on Monday moved the Supreme Court over the recent amendment to the Parliament's standing orders that enable opposition lawmakers to impeach the President.

Seven lawmakers resigned from the Parliament in November last year to take up key positions in Muizzu's administration. Despite this, the election commission opted against conducting the by-elections. Amid this, the MDP, which holds a majority in the Parliament, amended the standing orders so that the vacated seats are not counted when calculating the total number of MPs. With this, the Parliament currently requires 54 votes to impeach the President, instead of the previous 58.

(With inputs from agencies)