Blogger Killing: Maldives activists see tolerance for dissent disappearing

Activists in the Maldives say tolerance for dissent is rapidly disappearing after a prominent blogger who denounced Islamist extremism and state corruption was killed on Sunday and the government cracks down on criticism.

Yameen Rasheed, 29, was found stabbed to death in the stairwell of his apartment block on Sunday. He had fronted a campaign to find a journalist presumed abducted in 2014 and had repeatedly warned police about death threats.

The tropical Indian Ocean archipelago of 400,000 people has been mired in political instability since its uneasy shift to democracy in 2008, and critics accuse President Abdulla Yameen of autocratic behaviour.

Many potential challengers in elections due in 2018 have been arrested for alleged security offences while several activists, including one held in March on suspicion of spreading panic on social media after criticising a development project, have been detained.

The government denies targeting any critic unfairly, and the president condemned Sunday's murder, vowing to use all of the state's resources to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Little is known about who is behind the violence, and earlier attacks on a blogger and the murder of a politician remain unsolved.

Police reject accusations they have done too little to bring those responsible for the threats to justice.

Some Maldivian activists have stopped publishing material for fear of further attacks, while others are seeking asylum abroad.