The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the jailing of two Maldivian journalists linked to an investigative documentary about President Mohamed Muizzu, describing it as an attack on press freedom in the Maldives.
A court in Malé sentenced Mohamed Shahzan and Leevan Ali Nasir of the independent outlet Adhadhu over matters connected to a documentary titled “Aisha”, which contained allegations involving the President.
Reporter Mohamed Shahzan received a 15-day jail term after questioning President Muizzu during a press conference about allegations raised in the documentary. Leevan Ali Nasir was sentenced to 10 days over reporting linked to a court-issued gag order on the case.
CPJ said the rulings marked an escalation in action against Adhadhu, noting that authorities had earlier raided the outlet’s newsroom, seized equipment, and imposed travel bans on senior staff.
“The jailing of Mohamed Shahzan and Leevan Ali Nasir is a punitive attempt to criminalize investigative journalism,” CPJ Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder said in a statement.
President Muizzu has denied the allegations in the documentary. Maldivian authorities have defended the legal action against Adhadhu, framing it as lawful inquiry into what they describe as false claims.
International media rights groups have called on the government to drop legal proceedings against the outlet and allow journalists to work without intimidation.
The case underscores rising concerns about press freedom across the Indian Ocean region, where Sri Lanka itself moved up to 134th of 180 countries on the 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index — a modest improvement, with RSF nonetheless warning that journalism remains in danger. President Muizzu was hosted in Colombo on a state visit earlier this month by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
