President Mohamed Muizzu has claimed that all Maldivian citizens are legally obligated to comply with a Criminal Court order issued last night, which bans the circulation of Adhadhu's "Aisha" documentary and prohibits the discussion of its contents.
The order, issued by Criminal Court Judge Muzammil Nasir, explicitly prohibits any party from directly or indirectly discussing the contents of the video. However, many legal experts and members of the public have characterized the injunction as an unlawful order.
Responding to questions at a press conference at the President's Office this morning, Muizzu asserted that no citizen should speak on the matter.
“The court has issued a gag order on this matter; therefore, it is mandatory for all Maldivian citizens to obey that order. That is the direct answer,” he said.
“Since there is a gag order in place, I cannot comment on it, and no citizen should say anything about it either.”
Muizzu further claimed that the Maldives is a country where freedom of expression is granted to its fullest extent, a statement critics have labeled as false. Despite allegations of various illegal actions by the administration, Muizzu maintained that the government continues to uphold the rule of law.
“This is certainly not something the government is doing. The three powers are separated; the judiciary will carry out its functions independently,” he added.
The President also took a swipe at the media, stating that a journalism press pass is not a license to infringe upon the reputation of citizens.
Legal professionals, however, argue that the Criminal Court order is a direct violation of the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Under the Maldivian Constitution, these two rights are protected to the extent that they cannot be restricted even during a state of emergency. Furthermore, Article 64 of the Constitution grants every citizen the right to refuse to obey an unlawful order.
The "Aisha" documentary was released by Adhadhu on March 28.
In the documentary, a a former President's Office employee made serious allegations against President Mohamed Muizzu, including claims of an extramarital affair and allegations of sexual harassment.
Prior to the publication of the documentary, the government spokesperson denied the allegations when questioned. These denials were included in the final production of the documentary.
One month after its release, police raided the Adhadhu office and seized electronic equipment after the outlet questioned Muizzu regarding the allegations. Two weeks after the raid, the investigation was concluded, and criminal charges were filed against Adhadhu’s CEO, Hussain Fiyaz, and Editor, Hassan Mohamed.
