The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Maldivian government to release jailed Adhadhu journalists Leevan Ali Naseer and Mohamed Shahzan.
The international rights group also urged authorities to drop charges against Adhadhu CEO, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, and Editor, Hassan Mohamed.
“The Maldives government’s wrongful jailing of two journalists and raiding of independent news outlets sends a chilling message about media freedom in the country,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should urgently reverse the dangerous backsliding on media freedom.”
The crackdown began after Adhadhu posed questions to President Mohamed Muizzu a month after it released the "Aisha" documentary.
The documentary features a former employee of the President's Office who made sexual misconduct and corruption allegations against Muizzu. The government denied the allegations.
After pressing charges, a gag order was issued to stop discussion about the documentary. Leevan was jailed for reporting on the gag order, while Shahzan was jailed for questioning Muizzu.
“The renewed crackdown on the press in the Maldives shows that the gains in media freedom are very fragile,” Pearson said. “President Muizzu needs to send a strong public message to the police that free expression must be protected and that attacks on the media by anyone won’t be tolerated.”
