Political appointee fired for condemning MP Falah for suggesting journalists should be executed by impalement

Ibrahim ‘Cade’ Saeed was dismissed from his political post on Thursday for allegedly condemning remarks by Ibrahim Falah, the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s top lawmaker, calling for journalists to be executed by impalement.

Cade had been serving as a senior political director at the Sports Ministry.

Falah had made the remarks during the preliminary parliamentary debate on Wednesday on the contentious government-backed media control bill. The Parliament majority leader’s suggestion that journalists should be executed by ulubeyndhun or impalement - an ancient torture and execution method - sparks widespread condemnation, including from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), the latter of which demanded a public apology from Falah as well as the ruling party.

Noosverinah maruge adhabu dheyn govailumun, Falaah hoonu fenah!https://t.co/iCIDDjKXlv#sunnews #sunmv #sunonline #news #ssmedia #latestnews #dhivehinews #maldivesnews pic.twitter.com/eQcu1OKn3U

— sun.mv (@sunbrk) August 27, 2025

Sun has been informed that Cade, who publicly criticized the remarks, was dismissed from his political post on Thursday morning.

In a post on Facebook on Wednesday, Cade criticized Falah over the inflammatory remarks and called for a criminal investigation against him.

“The call by this man to execute journalists by impalement must be investigated,” he said.

During Wednesday’s parliamentary debate, Falah said he was a victim of false media reports.

He said that imprisonment alone is not enough for such acts, and that journalists should be impaled.

The remarks sparked immediate backlash.

The MDP, in a statement on Wednesday, said the remarks are an inhumane and cruel call that go beyond violating fundamental human rights, press freedom and free speech.