Mohamed Firaq, CEO of Inner Maldives, has called on the government to investigate a video circulating on social media that appears to show a wedding ceremony between two men at a Maldivian resort.
In a social media post, Firaq wrote that the Maldives has been a world-class tourism destination for half a century but that everyone must respect the country’s laws, regulations and cultural norms. “Even if these resorts are operated by foreign investors, they are not exempt from Maldivian law. Foreign investment is not a license to violate the laws of the land,” he said. He asked authorities to investigate and take legal action.
Snapshots from the video show two men holding hands. Based on their attire, the event has been described by commentators as a symbolic wedding.
Same-sex relations and same-sex marriage are criminalised under Maldivian law. Enforcement on privately operated resort islands has historically been limited compared with inhabited islands, but no formal exemption exists.
The resort involved has not been publicly identified. No official investigation has been announced.
