News Desk
The Maldives Journalists Association said it will seek a court challenge to a Criminal Court order banning coverage of a documentary broadcast by the online news outlet Adhadhu, after two journalists were jailed for allegedly violating the restriction.
Mohammad Shahzan and Leevan Ali Naseer were sentenced yesterday. The MJA called the order disproportionate, saying it blocks even indirect references to the documentary’s content and denies the public access to information.
The association said the order does not meet constitutional or international standards on legality, necessity or proportionality, and that it is working to have the ruling overturned.
The gag order was issued after prosecutors filed Qazf charges against Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and editor Hassan Mohammed. Their trial was scheduled to begin today. The court had previously ordered that the documentary not be circulated and that no reporting reference its contents.
The Maldives Journalists Association is an independent NGO representing journalists and media workers in the Maldives. It has previously raised concerns about press freedom conditions in the Maldives, including restrictions on court reporting and access to official information. The MJA does not have the power to overturn court orders but can file challenges through the courts and apply public pressure on the judiciary and government.
