Fayyaz Ismail, the former Chairperson of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has expressed concern over the criminal charges filed against Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz and Editor Hassan Mohamed, stating that the proceedings appear to have a predetermined outcome even before the trial begins.
The Qazf (a criminal charge under Islamic law over false accusation of adultery or fornication) charges against Fiyaz and Hassan stem from their roles as editors at Adhadhu in publishing a documentary containing sexual misconduct allegations against President Mohamed Muizzu. The investigation into the matter was concluded in just 14 days.
Referring to the speed of the investigation in a post on social media X, Fayyaz condemned the charges, describing the process as an "illegal investigation conducted like a firecracker string in just 14 days."
"Maldivians can clearly see that a specific outcome has been decided before this trial even started. Only authoritarian leaders pursue criminal charges against the work of journalists," said Fayyaz, who served as the Economic Minister during the previous MDP administration.
He characterized Muizzu’s attempt to "imprison two journalists through a secret trial" as a "terrifying" development and called for collective action against it.
"Changes must be made to ensure that a leader cannot inflict arbitrary punishment on citizens whenever they desire," he added.
While the court has decided to conduct the trial behind closed doors, a court order issued today also prohibited any discussion regarding the "Aisha" documentary produced by Adhadhu.
Commenting on this restriction, Fayyaz stated that "with a single order, the tongues of all Maldivian citizens have been silenced."
The charges against Fiyaz and Hassan were filed exactly 14 days after the investigation into the "Aisha" documentary commenced. The probe was initiated following a direct order from Muizzu during a press conference, after Adhadhu questioned him regarding the allegations.
That same night, police raided the Adhadhu office and seized 20 electronic devices, including laptops and hard drives.
The following day, Fiyaz and Hassan were slapped with travel bans and summoned to the police station for questioning. A former President’s Office employee featured in the documentary was also summoned and barred from traveling.
The prosecution of Fiyaz and Hassan comes despite calls from seven international organizations to drop the criminal charges and instead conduct an independent investigation into the allegations raised in the documentary.
