In a new video allegedly released Monday on a pro-Islamic State group Twitter account, three men threatened to kill Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen and Vice President Ahmed Adeeb if opposition leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla is not released within 30 days. Abdulla, a leader of the Islamic conservative Adhaalath, or Justice party, was arrested in May following anti-government protests.

The authenticity of the video has not been confirmed yet. The clip, which is over three minutes, shows three masked men with rifles in their hands.

One of the men in the video is heard saying: “You need to stop torturing Sheikh Imran without any crimes committed by him while keeping him captive. And if you refuse to act accordingly, we will start life threatening attack on both of your lives (Yameen and Adeeb).”

“We are calling you to release Sheikh Imran immediately without any terms and conditions. We are giving you a time period of 30 days. If you don’t act within the given time, we will start attacking your economy and citizens.”

Abdulla was accused by the government of inciting violence among protesters, who were demanding the resignation of the president over the imprisonment of former president Mohamed Nasheed and other political leaders. Abdulla also aimed to overthrow the government and "called for clashes with the police if necessary," the Guardian reported in May after the arrests, citing police officials.

The purported video also shows the men threatening to launch bomb attacks on resorts, which would adversely affect the country’s tourism industry. The men say that the responsibility of the loss will rest on Yameen and Adeeb. The video ends with a logo of ISIS.

The video also refers to a person called Sandan Luthufi about whom no other details are available.

"Stop harassing Sandan Luthufi in Switzerland," one of the men says in the video, adding: "Stop provoking him to come back to Maldives. Stop troubling him without any conditions and terms."

RELATED STORIES
Twitter