The High Court has accepted the appeal filed by Adhadhu journalists Mohamed Shahzan and Leevan Ali Naseer regarding their prison sentences and fines.
The two cases, filed separately, are now listed on the High Court registry. While Leevan has been released after completing his mandatory jail term, today marks the 12th day of Shahzan's incarceration.
The journalists were sentenced in a one-day trial conducted without providing adequate time to seek legal counsel. The Criminal Court ruled that they had violated a court order prohibiting discussion of the documentary "Aisha," produced by Adhadhu.
Leevan was sentenced to four months and 24 days in prison. The court ordered him to serve 10 days in jail, while the remainder of the sentence was converted into a fine. He was ordered to pay a total of MVR 26,800 to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) within 20 days.
Shahzan also received a sentence of four months and 24 days. The court mandated that he serve 15 days in prison, with the rest of the term converted to a fine. He was ordered to pay MVR 25,800 to MIRA within 20 days.
Leevan was convicted for reporting on the Criminal Court order that prohibited the public from discussing the "Aisha" documentary. Shahzan was convicted for posing a question to President Mohamed Muizzu.
