Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Shaheed has warned Maldives will experience foreign pressure, citing the close relationship the country has with China.
In a tweet posted regarding an article posted on Sunday Guardian of India, Ahmed Shaheed described the article as a warning to Maldives and expressed deep concerns for the China-Maldives relations. The former minister further noted India must act if the presidential election is won by the incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, claiming only extremists live in Maldives.
On different occasions, Shaheed has called for foreign intervention in Maldives which was followed by public criticism. Shaheed served as the foreign minister in the government of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and also in the government of former President Mohamed Nasheed. Currently, he is serving as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran.
However, Iran has refused him entry into the country and has declared him to be an agent of both the CIA and Israel. He has also been actively supporting freedom of religion and the abolition of the death penalty in Islamic societies.