The state prosecution has officially appealed a high-profile blackmail case to the Supreme Court, following consecutive losses in lower courts. The defendant, Mohamed Fawaz Luthfee (of Liligasdhoshuge, S. Feydhoo), was arrested last year for allegedly extorting over MVR 300,000 from a Maldivian man by threatening to release explicit photographs.
Key Details of the Case:
The Allegation: The victim reported the extortion to the police on December 19, 2024, stating he had been coerced into paying over MVR 300,000 across multiple occasions under the threat of leaked pornography.
In April 2025, the Criminal Court dismissed the blackmail charges during the preliminary stage, ruling that the case did not meet the “civil standard” required to proceed to trial.
The state appealed to the High Court, which upheld the dismissal in a split 2-1 decision. Chief Judge Abdulla Jameel and Judge Ismail Shafeeu formed the majority opinion to clear the defendant, while Judge Fathimath Farheeza dissented, arguing that the lower court’s dismissal should be overturned.
Unwilling to drop the charges, the state officially registered the appeal with the Supreme Court last week, seeking a final determination on whether the case can proceed to a full trial.
