Media Commission remains silent as police raids news outlet

The Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC) remains silent, hours after the police raided the office of online news outlet ‘Adhadhu’, and seized multiple electronic devices.

On Monday night, the police stormed the office of ‘Adhadhu’ in a raid that the news outlet said lasted four hours, during which investigators seized multiple electronic devices. According to the news outlet, the warrant reads that the raid was for an investigation over a documentary that ‘Adhadhu’ produced based on an interview from an individual.

The police confirmed the raid on ‘Adhadhu’, but said only that it was part of an “ongoing investigation.”

In addition to raiding the office, the police also obtained travel ban orders on the news outlet’s CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and managing editor Hassan Mohamed.

The warrant for the travel ban on Fiyaz was issued by the Criminal Court at 10:11 pm Monday, and cites that the police find it imperative for him to remain in Maldives for a criminal investigation.

The MMBC remains silent on the incident. The commission’s president Mohamed Farushath has been unresponsive to repeated phone calls and messages seeking a comment.

The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has condemned the raid, describing it as an attack of press freedom. Journalists also staged a protest outside the ‘Adhadhu’ office on Monday night over the incident.