The Criminal Court today sentenced journalist Leevan Ali Nasir to prison for contempt of court, following his article on a court order prohibiting discussion of the "Aisha" documentary.
The documentary is central to the criminal charges currently being pursued against Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Editor Hassan Mohamed.
Leevan appeared in court at 11:00 am today without legal representation. He requested a 10-day period to appoint a lawyer to represent him in the matter.
However, the presiding bench granted him only two hours to secure legal counsel. He returned to the court for the hearing at 2:00 pm.
The court ruled that Leevan was guilty of contempt over the news article. He was sentenced to 10 days in prison for the offence.
In a related development, Adhadhu journalist Mohamed Shahzan was also summoned to court today after questioning President Mohamed Muizzu during a press conference held at the President's Office yesterday. Shahzan was similarly granted only a two-hour window to appoint a legal representative. He appeared at the hearing without an attorney and was sentenced to 15 days in prison.
