Authorities in the Maldives raided a media newsroom over allegations against the president

The authorities seized journalistic equipment and imposed travel bans on top editors, invoking a strict Islamic law against false accusations of adultery.

Police in the Maldives raided the offices of a local news outlet on Monday night, seizing computers and barring its top editors from leaving the country after the publication broadcast a video in which a woman alleged she had a sexual relationship with the nation’s president.

The four-hour search of Adhadhu, a prominent Dhivehi-language news organization, has led to a confrontation between the government of President Mohamed Muizzu and the press in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

According to a search warrant issued by a criminal court, Adhadhu and its staff are accused of “qazf” — a serious offense under the country’s Islamic legal system defined as making a false accusation of adultery against a Muslim. The charge stems from a video titled “Aisha,” published on March 29, which featured a former staff member detailing the alleged affair.

In the Maldives, the offense carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison and can also include corporal punishment of up to 80 lashes.

During the nighttime raid, officers confiscated laptops, pen drives, and other vital newsroom equipment. The publication’s chief executive, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, and its editor, Hassan Mohamed, were subsequently placed under a travel ban.

Fiyaz argued that while the warrant authorized a search and inspection of the premises, it did not legally permit the blanket confiscation of the newsroom’s property.

"When our lawyers pointed this out, the police officers did not respond, and continued to confiscate everything," Fiyaz said, noting that the indiscriminate sweep compromised privileged journalistic information and source material.

“We told them if they want evidence related to the ‘Aisha’ documentary, we can give it to them,” he added. “We do not believe they want to find evidence. President Muizzu and police want to stop Adhadhu.”

The Maldivian government strongly defended the police action. Ali Ihusaan, the home minister, wrote on the social platform X on Tuesday that the authorities were "right to investigate and raid the news outlet over false ’zina,’” or adultery, allegations against the president.

Press freedom, the minister asserted, was "not a free pass to destroy reputations with lies."

"Spreading fabricated serious accusations is not journalism," Ihusaan wrote. "Police are upholding the rule of law and the president’s constitutional rights."

The sweeping nature of the raid and the ensuing travel restrictions drew immediate condemnation from media watchdogs. The Maldives Journalists Association characterized the government’s actions as a severe overreach.

“We demand an immediate end to the intimidation of journalists and the suppression of press freedom,” the association said in a statement, warning that by imposing travel bans on the editors, the administration was “crossing a clear red line.”