The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Maldivian government to immediately cease efforts to silence and intimidate journalists through criminal allegations for trying to hold President Mohamed Muizzu accountable.
In a statement released yesterday, the international press freedom watchdog urged the Maldivian government to immediately return electronic equipment seized by police from the Adhadhu office.
"Maldivian authorities must immediately return seized equipment to the independent news outlet Adhadhu, lift travel bans on its staff, and cease using criminal allegations to silence reporting on the president," the CPJ stated.
The police launched a criminal investigation a month after Adhadhu released the documentary "Aisha." The raid and travel bans followed a question posed to Muizzu during a press conference at the President's Office on Monday morning.
In his response, the President denied the allegations and stated that legal action would be pursued.
“The raid on Adhadhu and subsequent travel bans are an attempt to criminalize investigative journalism under the guise of religious and national interests,” said CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder. “Using religious laws to bypass civil media regulations sets a chilling precedent. Authorities must allow the press to hold government offices accountable.”
