The Maldives Criminal Court on Sunday issued a sweeping gag order against all Maldivian citizens, banning them from discussing or expressing opinions about a documentary broadcast weeks ago that highlighted allegations of sexual misconduct against President Muizzu. The order means that no ordinary citizen may speak about, discuss, report on, or engage in any way with the case or anything connected to it. The Election Commission subsequently instructed all political parties to comply with the order or face contempt of court.
In an extraordinary show of overreach, the order bans the further circulation, discussion, or broadcast of the documentary Aisha, and follows the levying of criminal charges against the CEO and Deputy Editor of Maldivian news outlet Adhadhu MV. Journalists are being charged with a hudud crime (Qazf) merely for broacasting a documentary depicting a third party's account of Presidential misconduct. These are not the circumstances in which such serious charges are meant to be levied, and this action demonstrates the President's desperation to avoid accountability in the face of significant allegations of misconduct.
These incidents were compounded yesterday by the President's Office's forceful removal of an Adhadhu MV journalist from the President's press conference for daring to question him about these events. Journalists at the President's Office also reported being asked by security personnel to hand over their devices to prove they had not recorded the removal of their colleague — and, if they had, to delete any such recording before being permitted to leave the premises.
MDP is deeply concerned by the subsequent actions being taken against journalists simply for doing their job. In the latest such incident, a further Adhadhu MV journalist has been summoned for questioning on suspicion of contempt of court — for no other reason than reporting on the case. This is an unacceptable assault on the freedom of the press.
These are a series of state-sanctioned actions designed to repress legitimate scrutiny of President Muizzu's conduct and to silence press freedom and freedom of expression in the Maldives. The Maldivian Democratic Party calls upon President Muizzu to cease using state institutions for personal vendettas and to ensure the full restoration of press freedom in this country.