The Criminal Court has sentenced Hoodu Mohamed Zahir to 23 years in prison for supporting the terrorist organization Islamic State by sharing posts, photos, and videos on social media. Hoodu, who was arrested in Malé in January 2022 during an operation conducted in collaboration with the FBI and European investigative agencies, was accused by police of being a top IS operative.

The Prosecutor General’s Office filed five charges in the case, of which three were proven. The court sentenced him to 15 years for being a member of a terrorist organization, 5 years for supporting ISIS, and 3 years for possessing writings and photos indicating support for terrorism.

The state accused Hoodu of creating social media accounts under different names to spread propaganda in online groups linked to ISIS and translating materials. The court ruled that two charges—encouraging terrorism via the internet and distributing terrorist organization literature—were not proven.