The hearings of a former President's Office employee charged with Qazf (an Islamic criminal charge of falsely accusing someone of adultery) began today at the Criminal Court.
The preliminary hearing for the case was held at 10:00 am behind closed doors. The Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office pressed Qazf charges against the 24-year-old woman.
The individual had previously been summoned by the police on suspicion of being the interviewee in the "Aisha" documentary produced by Adhadhu. However, she was denied the opportunity to present a defence during the police investigation. The state’s decision to prosecute her is directly linked to the "Aisha" documentary case.
Following the charges, the former employee alleged that a cabinet minister had contacted her and issued threats. She further claimed that her family has faced various forms of harassment from a member of the President’s family.
In connection with the same documentary, the state has also charged Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Editor Hassan Mohamed with Qazf. Their trial is also being held in closed-door proceedings at the Criminal Court.
The individual interviewed in the "Aisha" documentary alleged that she had an extramarital affair with President Mohamed Muizzu. When this Adhadhu journalist, Mohamed Shahuzan, questioned Muizzu regarding these allegations, he was sentenced to 15 days in prison.
Additionally, Leevan Ali Nasir, another journalist from Adhadhu, was sentenced to 10 days in prison for allegedly violating a court-issued gag order related to the case.
