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Maldives jails two journalists for reporting on president’s alleged affair
TL;DR
Two journalists in the Maldives have been jailed for violating a gag order related to a documentary about President Mohamed Muizzu's alleged affair. Mohamed Shahzan received 15 days in jail, while Leevan Ali Nasir was sentenced to 10 days.
Key points
- Two journalists jailed in the Maldives for violating a gag order
- Mohamed Shahzan received 15 days, Leevan Ali Nasir 10 days
- International Federation of Journalists condemned the jailing
- Critics say it's an attempt to criminalize investigative journalism
- President's spokesperson claims criticism is politically motivated
Mentioned in this story
Mohamed MuizzuMohamed ShahzanLeevan Ali NasirInternational Federation of JournalistsCommittee to Protect JournalistsMaldivesMale
Groups advocating for freedom of the news media have called for the release of two journalists who have been jailed in the Maldives for violating a gag order banning public discussion of a documentary alleging an affair between President Mohamed Muizzu and a former aide.
The International Federation of Journalists on Wednesday “strongly condemned” the jailing of Mohamed Shahzan and Leevan Ali Nasir while the Committee to Protect Journalists described their sentences as a “punitive attempt to criminalise investigative journalism”.
The journalists, who work for the news website Adhadhu, were sentenced by the criminal court in the Maldivian capital, Male, on Tuesday.
Shahzan received 15 days in jail and Nasir 10 days.
Muizzu’s spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, rejected the criticism, saying any “attempts at portraying the criminal proceedings as an attack on free press are unwarranted and politically motivated.”
The case centres on a documentary titled Aisha, which was released on Adhadhu’s social media accounts on March 28. It featured an anonymised interview with a woman who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Muizzu, 47, a married father of three.
Muizzu has dismissed the allegations as “baseless lies”.
Police raid on Adhadhu
Police raided Adhadhu’s offices in April over the documentary’s release, seizing the laptops of journalists, marketing staff and administrators along with hard drives and pen drives.
According to Adhadhu, Shahzan was jailed after questioning Muizzu about late-night calls he had allegedly made to the former presidential aide. Nasir was jailed for reporting on the gag order itself, which the criminal court issued on Monday at the request of prosecutors.
The order, published on the court’s website, bans any direct or indirect discussion of the allegations, the charges and the ongoing trials, citing constitutional provisions protecting the right to reputation.
Adhadhu said the trials were conducted in secret and concluded within hours with the journalists given just two hours to find legal counsel and no opportunity to present a defence. “For the first time in our democratic history, journalists have been jailed for challenging the most powerful man in the nation,” the outlet said.
The case has intensified concerns about democracy and media freedom in the Maldives, a Sunni Muslim nation whose luxury resorts attract tourists from around the world. Parliament passed a media law in September giving a commission stacked with government loyalists powers to fine, suspend and shut down outlets while Muizzu’s allies the Supreme Court last year, removing three judges in moves the former judges said were politically motivated.
Q&A
What were the charges against the journalists in the Maldives?
The journalists were jailed for violating a gag order that prohibited public discussion of a documentary alleging an affair involving President Mohamed Muizzu.
How long are the journalists sentenced to jail in the Maldives?
Mohamed Shahzan was sentenced to 15 days in jail, while Leevan Ali Nasir received a 10-day sentence.
What organizations condemned the jailing of the journalists?
The International Federation of Journalists and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the jailing, calling it a punitive attempt to criminalize investigative journalism.
What is President Mohamed Muizzu's response to the criticism regarding the journalists' jailing?
President Muizzu's spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, rejected the criticism, claiming that the proceedings were not an attack on the free press but politically motivated.
