Maldives Jails Two Journalists for Reporting on President's Alleged Affair

On April 29, the Criminal Court in Male, the capital of the Maldives, sentenced journalist Mohamed Shahzan to 15 days in prison and journalist Leevan Ali Nasir to 10 days, both employees of the news site Adhadhu, for violating a court ban on discussing a documentary that accused President Mohamed Muizzu of having an affair with a former aide.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on April 30 strongly condemned the imprisonment, while the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the sentence as an attempt to criminalize investigative journalism.

The case stems from a documentary titled 'Aisha,' released by Adhadhu on social media on March 28. The film features an interview with an unnamed woman who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with President Muizzu, 47, who is married with three children. President Muizzu has denied the allegations, calling them baseless lies.

In April, police raided Adhadhu's office over the documentary's release, seizing journalists' laptops, marketing staff computers, an administrator's machine, hard drives, and USB drives.

According to Adhadhu, Shahzan was convicted after questioning President Muizzu about late-night calls he allegedly made to the former aide. Nasir was convicted for reporting on the very gag order that the court had issued on April 28 at the request of prosecutors. The order, posted on the court's website, banned direct or indirect discussion of the allegations, charges, and ongoing trials, citing constitutional provisions protecting the right to honor.

Adhadhu said the trials were held in secret and concluded within hours, with the journalists given only two hours to find a lawyer and no opportunity to present a defense. The news site stated: 'For the first time in our democratic history, journalists have been jailed for challenging the most powerful person in the country.'

The case has raised concerns about democracy and press freedom in the Maldives. In September 2025, the country's parliament passed a media law granting a committee of government loyalists the power to fine, suspend, and shut down media outlets. Allies of President Muizzu also restructured the Supreme Court in 2025, removing three judges in moves that former judges say were politically motivated.

The documentary 'Aisha' was released days before an April 4 constitutional referendum, in which 69% of voters rejected the government's proposal to synchronize presidential and parliamentary election cycles. Critics argued the plan would weaken checks and balances.

Two Adhadhu editors, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Hassan Mohamed, also face charges of 'qazf'—defamation of adultery or illegal sexual relations under Islamic law, punishable by up to one year and seven months in prison and 80 lashes. Their closed-door trial began in Male on April 30.

Police have also launched an investigation into former presidential office employee Aishath Easha Ashraf in connection with the documentary.

President Muizzu's spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, dismissed the criticism, saying the prosecutions 'are not related to the guaranteed legal rights and responsibilities of an independent press.' He claimed President Muizzu has provided unprecedented access to the press and welcomed scrutiny of his policies.

However, press freedom organizations, including CPJ, the Maldives Journalists Association, and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, condemned the sentences. CPJ called for the release of Shahzan and Nasir and an 'end to the judicial harassment of their news outlet.' The Maldives Journalists Association argued that the court order does not meet constitutional standards of legality, necessity, and proportionality, warning of a 'rollback of democratic rights' under Muizzu's government.

Former Supreme Court Judge Husnu Al Suood wrote on X: 'This imprisonment undermines the principles of press freedom, accountability, and democratic transparency. Journalism is not a crime.'