Nasheed calls for defiance of court order in Adhadhu case
Nasheed criticised the investigation and the restrictions imposed by the court.
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Former President Mohamed Nasheed on Monday called for public defiance of a court order issued in connection with criminal charges filed against two journalists from Adhadhu.
The Prosecutor General's Office filed Qazf-related criminal defamation charges against Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Hassan Mohamed over the documentary “Aisha”, which included allegations concerning President Mohamed Muizzu.
Following the filing of the case, the Criminal Court issued an injunction prohibiting circulation of the documentary and restricting public discussion related to the matter.
Under the order:
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the documentary may not be circulated until a final ruling is delivered;
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individuals are prohibited from discussing content contained in the documentary directly or indirectly;
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statements relating to parties connected to the case or the alleged victim may not be discussed; and
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documents and information related to the proceedings may not be disclosed publicly as the case is being heard behind closed doors.
Responding in posts published on X, formerly Twitter, Nasheed criticised the investigation and the restrictions imposed by the court.
He raised concerns regarding the criminal prosecution of journalists, police searches of media offices, seizure of media equipment and the treatment of journalists during press conferences.
“I call on the government to withdraw the criminal charges filed against Adhadhu's CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Editor Hassan Mohamed,” Nasheed wrote.
In a subsequent post, Nasheed repeated allegations linked to the documentary and criticised the court order restricting discussion of the case.
“Widespread and open defiance of this court order would constitute a legitimate act of protest in defense of press freedom. I am prepared to defy this court order,” he stated.
In connection with the same investigation, Eesha Ashraf, a former employee of the President's Office, was also questioned by the Maldives Police Service.
Although police linked her to allegations under investigation, no formal charges have been filed against her.
Authorities have withheld the passports of Fiyaz, Hassan and Eesha as part of the case.
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