Journalist Leevan, jailed for contempt of court, released after completing sentence

‘Adhadhu’ journalist Leevan Ali Nasir was released on Friday morning after completing a 10-day prison sentence for contempt of court following a ruling that he had violated a Criminal Court order.

Leevan was sentenced to 10-days in rpsion by the Criminal Court on May 12, 2026. While he has been released after serving his full sentence, his colleague, Mohamed Shahzan, remains in custody.

The case stemmed from a gag order issued by the Criminal Court on May 10, 2026, prohibiting the dissemination of any information, either directly or indirectly, concerning a specific matter.

The court ruled that Leevan was in contempt of court by reporting on the issuance of the order. In addition to the 10-day prison sentence, he was also fined by MVR 10,000.

Meanwhile, Shahzan was sentenced to 15 days in prison and fined MVR 25,000 after the court ruled that he had violated the order with a question posed to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu during a press conference held at the President’s Office. Shahzan remains in detention with five days left on his sentence.

The imprisonment of the two journalists prompted concern from international organizations, including the International Federation of Journalists and the Committee to Protect Journalists, both of which called for their immediate release. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives has launched an investigation into the matter and visited the journalists in prison to monitor their well-being.