Mohamed Arrested Twice: Fresh Questions Over Ali Government’s Crackdown on Opposition

Opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed was arrested twice Thursday night and released, in a dramatic police operation near President Irfaan Ali’s private residence that has raised fresh questions about the government’s treatment of its most formidable political opponent.

The extraordinary episode unfolded after police intercepted two heavily tinted vehicles near Ali’s Leonora residence, reportedly following concerns raised by Presidential security personnel. Mohamed and several associates were taken to the Leonora Police Station for questioning amid an investigation involving an alleged drone operation near the President’s home.

But by Friday morning, the central question was not simply what a drone was doing in the area. It was whether the Ali administration’s handling of Mohamed represents yet another escalation in a long-running campaign of official pressure against a political rival who has repeatedly accused the government of targeting him.