A court hearing for the Qazf charges filed against Adhadhu’s CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Editor Hassan Mohamed, in connection with the "Aisha" documentary, has been scheduled for September 15.
According to the court summons sent to Fiyaz and Hassan, the hearing will be held to deliberate on pre-trial motions. The proceedings are set to commence at 10:00 am on Tuesday, September 15.
The most recent hearing in this closed-door trial took place on June 8, during which both Fiyaz and Hassan entered pleas of not guilty to the charges.
The charges against Fiyaz and Hassan stem from their roles as editors at Adhadhu when the documentary was published. The documentary alleged that President Mohamed Muizzu maintained an extramarital relationship with an employee of the President’s Office.
The police investigation into the matter was initiated only after Muizzu was questioned about the documentary a month after its release. During a press conference, he directed authorities to investigate the documentary and prosecute everyone involved in its production.
Following the President’s directive, police conducted a raid on the Adhadhu office, seizing all electronic devices used for journalistic work, including laptops and hard drives.
A day after the raid, travel bans were imposed on Hassan and Fiyaz, and their passports were confiscated.
Later, during a press conference at the President’s Office on May 12, an Adhadhu journalist was forcibly removed after questioning the President regarding evidence presented in the documentary. In connection with the case, Adhadhu journalist Mohamed Shahuzan was jailed for 15 days. Additionally, journalist Leevan Ali Nasir was sentenced to 10 days in prison for reporting on a court order that prohibited public discussion of the allegations against Muizzu.
