Adhadhu Files Lawsuit Against President’s Office Over Press Conference Ban
Adhadhu journalists and editors, along with supporters, near the criminal court in Hulhumale. | Photo: MJA
Online news outlet Adhadhu has filed a lawsuit in the Civil Court challenging its exclusion from government press conferences and seeking a judicial order to overturn the executive restriction.
The lawsuit names the President’s Office as the respondent and argues that the decision to bar Adhadhu journalists from attending official press briefings violates constitutional protections relating to press freedom and the right to seek and receive information.
In its filing, Adhadhu contends that the restriction fails to satisfy the requirements set out in Article 16 of the Maldivian Constitution, which governs limitations on fundamental rights. The outlet maintains that any restriction imposed on media access must be demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.
The dispute stems from an incident at a presidential press conference on 11 May, when Adhadhu reporter Mohamed Shahzan questioned President Dr Mohamed Muizzu about a documentary published by the news outlet.
During the briefing, President Muizzu stated that the query breached a gag order issued by the Criminal Court prohibiting the public discussion or dissemination of the documentary’s contents. Rejecting the claims made in the report as baseless, the President ordered the reporter’s removal from the venue, after which security personnel escorted the journalist from the hall.
Later that evening, the President’s Office informed media organisations via an official WhatsApp communications channel that Adhadhu reporters would no longer be permitted to attend government press conferences. The outlet was subsequently excluded from new media communication groups established by the executive office. Adhadhu stated they submitted a formal letter to the President’s Office on 18 May seeking written justification, but has received no response.
The press ban comes amid broader legal challenges over the lower court injunction. The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) and the CEO of Adhadhu both lodged appeals at the High Court challenging the directive following the penalisation and jailing of journalists in connection with the order.
Although the High Court Registrar initially rejected the MJA’s appeal on procedural grounds, a bench comprising Chief Justice Abdullah Jameel Moosa and Justice Ibrahim Mahir subsequently overturned that decision on 13 July. The High Court judges concluded that the Criminal Court’s gag order was issued outside the Criminal Procedure Act and without proper legal authority, accepting the MJA’s case for full review.
