The trial of Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Editor Hassan Mohamed, charged with Qazf (an Islamic criminal charge on false accusation of adultery or fornication), commenced today.
The proceedings are being held behind closed doors. Both Hassan and Fiyaz appeared at the Criminal Court at 1:00 pm today.
It is understood that the next session will be scheduled in two weeks.
Currently, two other Adhadhu journalists are serving sentences at Maafushi Prison. Shahzan Mohamed was imprisoned for asking a question, while Leevan Ali Nazir was jailed over a published news article.
The charges against Fiyaz and Hassan stem from their roles as editors at Adhadhu during the publication of a documentary containing allegations against President Mohamed Muizzu.
Charges were filed against them 14 days after the investigation into the documentary "Aisha" began. The probe was ordered directly by Muizzu during a press conference, following questions from Adhadhu regarding the allegations.
On the same night the investigation was ordered, 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 involved in the matter was also summoned and prohibited from leaving the country.
