Hussain Shameem was on his way to work when an unidentified attacker lunged at him and injured his left arm. The Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), the main opposition party, said the attack was politically motivated.
Police said they suspected a link to criminal proceedings brought by Hussain Shameem, a veteran lawyer who became justice minister in 2019. The attack came three days after violent scenes in parliament, which erupted when lawmakers rejected three nominations for ministerial posts, including that of the justice minister.