Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu did not apologize to Indians in a tweet; Viral screenshot is fabricated - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 8, 2024
A screenshot circulating on social media shows Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu apologizing to Indians with folded hands for his ministers’ recent comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In this article, we will verify the authenticity of the tweet.
Claim: Screenshot of  Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s tweet apologizing to Indians for his ministers’ recent comments on PM Narendra Modi
Fact: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu did not apologize to Indians in a tweet. The most recent tweet from this account was posted on 05 January 2024. Online tools that monitor social media account’s posting activity also suggest the same. Most likely, the viral screenshot is fabricated. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Controversy erupted on social media when a Maldives Minister posted a disparaging tweet about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, accusing India of targeting the Maldives. Taking cognizance of the events, the Maldives government took action by suspending three deputy ministers for their derogatory comments.
The Government of Maldives acknowledged the offensive remarks made by the minister on social media, emphasizing that these opinions are personal and do not reflect the views of the Maldivian government. In a statement, the government expressed the belief in exercising freedom of expression in a democratic and responsible manner, avoiding the spread of hatred and negativity, and maintaining positive relationships with international partners.
It is in this context, that the widely circulated tweet attributed to President Mohamed Muizzu is being shared. However, it is important to note that the Maldives President did not author the tweet, and the viral screenshot is fabricated, and generated digitally. A search on the official Twitter account of President Mohamed Muizzu did not produce any tweet matching the content depicted in the viral screenshot dated 07 January 2024. The most recent tweet from this account was posted on 05 January 2024.
I have received concerns from some staff of HDC regarding the shift of municipal services from HDC to MCC. I would like to give full assurance that none of the staff will end up being forced to accept a reduction in salary, insurance, or any other benefits they currently receive,… https://t.co/0apsdWKb1H
Upon further analysis using Social Blade, a tool that monitors an account’s posting activity, including deleted posts, it is confirmed that Muizzu did not delete any tweet after 07 January 2024. Additionally, a Twitter advanced search, with filters to find replies to his tweets, revealed that the most recent responses he received were related to his 05 January 2024 tweet, suggesting that he might have not posted any tweets on 07 January 2024.
If the Maldivian President had indeed made such a tweet, it would likely have been reported by the media. However, our search did not yield any reports on this matter. Consequently, all these prove that the screenshot is digitally created.
To sum it up, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu did not apologize to Indians in a tweet; the Viral screenshot is fabricated.