Court rules Mandhy defamed Pres. Muizzu’s son

The court has ruled that activist Mariyam “Mandhy” Zubair defamed President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s son in remarks she made during an opposition rally.

The verdict, issued on Sunday, states that her comments damaged the dignity of First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and Umair Mohamed Muizzu. The ruling further notes that if Umair has suffered losses, he may pursue compensation through a separate lawsuit.

The plaintiff had asked the court to order a police investigation, but the verdict contained no such directive. It also did not instruct any parliamentary committee to review the matter.

The civil lawsuit concerning Mandhy’s comments about Muizzu’s son was filed in March. A statement from former Attorney General Aishath Azima Shakoor’s law firm claimed that Mandhy’s remarks posed risks to Umair and could negatively affect his education and future. The statement also argued that her comments violated protections guaranteed under the Child Rights Act and the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Azima said the First Lady filed the case because the comments infringed on her constitutional right to protect her family’s name and reputation.

At an earlier press conference held by the president’s family, Azima announced their decision to file lawsuits against Mandhy, MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, and the party.

Mandhy’s legal counsel said the Civil Court relied on statements issued by authorities condemning her remarks. He argued that these statements were made without any investigation and should not have influenced the ruling.

The court, however, did not take the defense arguments into account when issuing its decision.

Following Mandhy’s comments, the Children’s Ombudsperson’s Office, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives, and the Elections Commission released statements in defense of Umair.