News Desk
A private individual has filed a case in the Criminal Court seeking a declaration that former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Abdulla Yameen violated the court’s gag order issued in connection with the Adhadhu documentary.
The case was filed on Monday. The plaintiff alleges that Nasheed has repeatedly breached the order in public speeches, and that Yameen has also made comments referencing the documentary. Evidence of the violations has been submitted to the court.
The Criminal Court issued the gag order on 11 May, prohibiting the circulation of the documentary and banning anyone from making direct or indirect reference to its contents. The order extends to judges and the alleged victim in the case. Violations are subject to court action.
The two former presidents are not the only ones named. The plaintiff has also flagged several sitting members of parliament for alleged violations, including Galolhu North MP Mohamed Ibrahim, Galolhu South MP Meekail Naseem, Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad and Kanditheem MP Ameen Faisal.
In a notable detail, the case also identifies President Dr Mohamed Muizzu himself as having violated the order.
The gag order was issued after prosecutors filed charges against Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and editor Hassan Mohamed. Two journalists were already jailed for violating it. The order has since become the central flashpoint in a widening confrontation between the government and the opposition, with three former presidents signing a joint statement demanding its removal and street protests continuing in Male’.
A private contempt filing of this nature is unusual. It widens the legal exposure around the order significantly and puts the court in the position of deciding whether to act against figures across the political spectrum, including the sitting president.
