Journalists Leevan and Shahuzan sentenced to prison over news report and inquiries
Two journalists from the news outlet "Adhadhu" have been sentenced to jail time and fined for contempt of court after violating a "gag order" issued by the Criminal Court. The issue arose after the journalists questioned officials during a President's Office press conference regarding a documentary produced by the outlet and subsequently published related news coverage. The court ruled that any direct or indirect discussion regarding the documentary constituted a breach of its standing order, leading to the summary conviction for contempt.
Adhadhu journalists Mohamed Shahuzaan (R) and Leevan Ali Naseer (L). | Raajjemv graphics
The Criminal Court has sentenced Adhadhu journalist Leevan Ali Nasir to 10 days in prison over a published news report. Additionally, the court sentenced journalist Mohamed Shahuzan from the same outlet to 15 days in prison and imposed a fine of MVR 25,000 for questioning President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
Shahuzan and Leevan were brought before the court on allegations of discussing and writing about the news outlet's documentary, despite a "gag order" issued by the Criminal Court. This order prohibited all Maldivian citizens from discussing the documentary, whether directly or indirectly.
The summons issued by the Criminal Court to Shahuzan states that he is being ordered to appear for a contempt of court hearing under Section 7(c) of the Regulation on Maintaining Decorum in Court. This follows a formal letter from the Prosecutor General’s Office on Sunday, which brought to the court's attention that Shahuzan’s questions and remarks during a press conference at the President’s Office earlier that day appeared to violate a standing court order. That order explicitly prohibits any actions intended to influence the outcome of an ongoing trial.
When Shahuzan was summoned and requested legal representation, he was granted only two hours to appoint a lawyer. He had been brought in for questioning at 1:00 PM on Tuesday.
Furthermore, the court summons issued to Leevan Ali Nasir stated that he was being called in to determine whether his report regarding a "gag order" violated a standing court mandate. He was ordered to appear before the court at 11:00 AM on Tuesday. Similar to others involved, he was granted only two hours to appoint legal counsel.
The Criminal Court has issued an injunction regarding the "Aisha" documentary produced by Adhadhu news, ordering a halt to its circulation until a final verdict is reached. The court order prohibits the further distribution of the documentary and restricts any public discussion of its contents, whether direct or indirect. Furthermore, the order bars any discourse concerning the parties involved in the litigation or the victim depicted in the documentary.
The Criminal Court's order states that cases of this nature may be conducted in camera to uphold public morality, as stipulated under Article 42(c)(1) of the Constitution. The court further ordered that documents submitted and information related to the proceedings must not be disclosed, warning that any such violation would be considered an act of contempt of court.
