Leevan Ali Nasir, a journalist with news site Adhadhu, was sentenced to 10 days in prison for contempt of court on May 12, 2026, following his reporting on a gag order that barred public discussion of a documentary alleging presidential misconduct. The Criminal Court of the Maldives also fined Nasir, 29, about US$1,700 for violating the court order.
The gag order was imposed following Adhadhu’s release of “Aisha,” a documentary in which a former employee in the President’s Office alleged sexual misconduct by President Mohamed Muizzu and abuse of power. Muizzu has denied the accusations.
The Criminal Court jailed Nasir on the same day that it sentenced another Adhadhu journalist, Mohamed Shahzan, to 15 days in prison for questioning Muizzu about the allegations raised in the documentary.
The sentences represent the first time that journalists have been sentenced to prison in the Maldives since the country adopted its democratic constitution in 2008, according to multiple news reports.
On May 15, Maafushi prison officials placed Nasir in solitary confinement and denied him access to medical treatment for a skin condition that had worsened in custody, Adhadhu reported. His lawyer said that prison authorities had also blocked funds sent by his family to buy essential items.
Following the release of “Aisha” on March 28, 2026, Muizzu’s government escalated a crackdown on press freedom in the country.
On April 27, officers from the Serious and Organized Crime Department raided Adhadhu’s office in Malé, seizing journalists’ laptops and hard drives in connection with the documentary. Authorities subsequently imposed travel bans on senior staff.
The Maldives Police Service and the President’s Office did not immediately respond to CPJ’s emailed requests for comment.