An employee of the state-owned State Trading Organization (STO) has been dismissed for allegedly violating a Criminal Court order that prohibited the discussion of the "Aisha" documentary.
The court order, issued by Judge Muzammil Naseer, was directed at Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, Editor Hassan Mohamed, and the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office. However, as the order applies to all citizens, STO terminated the employee following an internal investigation.
In a dismissal letter, STO stated that the employee had violated the Criminal Court order through a social media post, thereby breaching the company’s general code of conduct for employees.
The STO investigation further concluded that the post contained "insulting and derogatory language" directed at President Mohamed Muizzu and his wife Sajidha Mohamed.
Under the Maldives Employment Act, employers have the authority to take disciplinary action against staff who fail to adhere to professional codes of conduct. While the standard procedure involves a formal warning, the law also mandates a two-week notice period for the dismissal of any employee who has served less than one year.
The Criminal Court’s "gag order" prohibits any discussion involving the parties to the ongoing Qazf (and Islamic criminal charge of false accusation of adultery or fornication) case filed against two journalists, as well as the alleged victim.
Furthermore, the order stipulates that disseminating any documents or information related to the case in any form constitutes a violation. It imposes a total ban on the circulation of the "Aisha" documentary and prohibits any party from discussing the narratives contained within the video, whether directly or indirectly.
The Criminal Court’s restrictive order has since been appealed in the High Court. Legal experts have noted that extending such an order to the entire population, beyond the immediate parties to the case, conflicts with the fundamental right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution.
