Commission orders compliance with court ban on documentary

The Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission on Monday instructed all media organisations to comply with a court order banning circulation of the documentary “Aisha” produced by Adhadhu.

The order was issued by the Criminal Court following a request by the Prosecutor General's Office after criminal defamation charges were filed against Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Hassan Mohamed.

The charges relate to allegations made in the documentary concerning President Mohamed Muizzu.

According to the court order:

Following the ruling, the Media Commission issued a circular instructing media organisations to ensure their reporting complies with the court order.

“As the regulatory body for the media, we hereby instruct all media outlets defined under the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Act to ensure that their content remains in full compliance with the aforementioned court ruling,” the commission stated.

In connection with the same case, Eesha Ashraf, a former employee of the President's Office, was also questioned by the Maldives Police Service.

While police have linked her to the investigation, no formal charges have been filed against her.

Authorities have also withheld the passports of Fiyaz, Hassan and Eesha as part of the investigation.