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Maldives police raid news outlet over report alleging president's ...
Male, Maldives – Police in the Maldives have raided the offices of a critical news outlet and barred its editors from leaving the country after it published a documentary alleging an affair between President Mohamed Muizzu and a former aide.The government on Tuesday defended the operation against Adhadhu Online as a lawful response to what Muizzu has described as “baseless lies”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘War on free speech’: Outcry after Maldives passes controversial media billlist 2 of 4UN treaty to protect ‘extraordinary’ marine life due to come into forcelist 3 of 4Maldives parliament removes two Supreme Court judgeslist 4 of 4Israel’s recognition of Somaliland slammed across world capitalsend of listPolice were “right to investigate and raid the news outlet over false [adultery] allegations against the President,” Minister of Homeland Security Ali Ihusaan said in a post on X.“Press freedom is guaranteed, but not a free pass to destroy reputations with lies,” he said.The raid took place late on Monday night, with police seizing laptops and storage devices, hours after Muizzu called on “relevant authorities to press charges against all parties who spread such false information”.The documentary, titled Aisha and posted on Adhadhu’s X and Facebook accounts on March 28, featured an anonymised interview with a woman who claimed she had had a sexual relationship with Muizzu.The woman, who said she was a 22-year-old single mother, said the affair took place last year, shortly after she joined the President’s Office as an administrator. Muizzu is 47, married, and a father of three.The documentary was released days before a constitutional referendum that delivered a stinging midterm rebuke to Muizzu, with 69 percent of voters rejecting a government proposal on April 4 to align presidential and parliamentary election cycles. Critics had said the plan would undermine checks and balances in the country.‘On the government’s order’The raid on Adhadhu – aligned with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party – comes amid mounting concerns over press freedom in the Maldives, a Sunni Muslim island nation whose luxury resorts draw tourists from around the world. Those fears were stoked by a widely criticised media law passed in September of last year that established a commission, stacked with government loyalists, with the power to fine, suspend and shut down outlets.A letter from the new regulator, along with a police intelligence report, formed par...
Maldives police raid Adhadhu newsroom, travel bans imposed on editor ...
New Delhi, April 28, 2026—Maldivian authorities must immediately return seized equipment to the independent news outlet Adhadhu, lift travel bans on its staff, and cease using criminal allegations to silence reporting on the president, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On April 27, police raided Adhadhu’s headquarters in the capital city, Malé, and seized electronic devices, the news outlet said. It added that officers entered the property under a court order issued following the March 28 release of “Aisha,” a documentary in which a former employee in the President’s Office alleged sexual misconduct and abuse of power against President Mohamed Muizzu. The search warrant cited Section 612(a) of the Penal Code, which refers to the offense of “Qazf,” or the false accusation of adultery under Islamic law, as grounds to search the office. “The raid on Adhadhu and subsequent travel bans are an attempt to criminalize investigative journalism under the guise of religious and national interests,” said CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder. “Using religious laws to bypass civil media regulations sets a chilling precedent. Authorities must allow the press to hold government offices accountable.” The raid occurred hours after an Adhadhu journalist questioned Muizzu about the allegations during a televised press conference, said Mohamed Junayd, executive director of the Maldives Journalists Association, in a text message to CPJ. Following the raid, authorities imposed travel bans on Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and Managing Editor Hassan Mohamed. Minister of Homeland Security Ali Ihusaan defended the police action, saying: “Spreading fabricated serious accusations is not journalism. Police are upholding the rule of law and the President’s constitutional rights. Responsible freedom comes with accountability. No one is above the law.” The Maldives Police Service and the President’s Office did not respond to CPJ’s emailed requests for comment.
Maldives police raid Adhadhu newsroom, impose travel bans on editor and ...
On April 27, police raided Adhadhu's headquarters in the capital city, Malé, and seized electronic devices, the news outlet said. It added that officers entered the property under a court order issued following the March 28 release of " Aisha," a documentary in which a former employee in the President's Office alleged sexual misconduct and abuse of power against President Mohamed Muizzu.
Adhadhu raid, mental health and project funeral - Maldives Independent
News in brief from Monday, April 27. Police removed "gravestones" and white flags placed at the foundation site of a housing project in Kulhudhuffushi, which had been inaugurated on April 1 ahead of the local council elections. The items, which appeared overnight, were a satirical protest against the stalled project. "President Muizzu's pledge to build 200 housing units" was born and ...
