RSF Condemns Adhadhu Raid, Calls It ‘Criminalising Journalism’
Adhadhu reports that the police spent 4 hours at their office, after which different hardware and equipment were confiscated. | Photo: Adhadhu news
Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders has condemned the police raid on Adhadhu News, describing it as an act of “criminalising journalism” and calling for it to stop immediately.
In a post on X, the organisation said Maldivian authorities had raided the outlet’s offices, seized newsroom equipment and barred its editor-in-chief and CEO from leaving the country following the broadcast of a documentary critical of the authorities.
The Maldives Police Service raided Adhadhu’s newsroom on Monday night, confiscating equipment including hard drives and laptops, according to the organisation.
#Maldives: Yesterday, police raided the offices of Adhadhu News, seized newsroom equipment and barred the editor-in-chief and CEO from leaving the country after the outlet broadcast a documentary critical of the authorities. This is criminalising journalism as retaliation, and it… pic.twitter.com/Kf9Jcxr8GF— RSF (@RSF_inter) April 29, 2026
The raid follows the release of Adhadhu’s documentary “Aisha” last month, in which a woman—speaking under a pseudonym and with her identity concealed—alleged a sexual relationship with President Mohamed Muizzu at the President’s Office. She also claimed she received monthly monetary “gifts” during the alleged period.
Adhadhu said in social media posts that police seized materials used in its daily operations.
The raid came a day after President Muizzu denied the allegations at a press conference held at the President’s Office, describing the documentary as containing “lies” and stating that he would pursue legal action against those involved.
At the press conference, in response to the president’s denial, an Adhadhu journalist said the documentary was based on the woman’s account and allegations, adding that determining their veracity was not his role and would require an investigation.
Following the raid, police also seized the passports of Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz and Managing Editor Hassan Mohamed. In a passport seizure document shared by Hassan Mohamed, police cited the publication of a video containing what they described as numerous false allegations against the president as the reason for the confiscation. The document further stated that the travel ban was imposed based on intelligence reports that the individual was planning to leave the country.
