The Family Court has ruled that compensation can be sought from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and its Chairperson, Fayyaz Ismail, over comments made by MDP activist Mariyam Zubair (known as Mandhy) about President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s children during an MDP rally earlier this year.

The case stems from remarks Zubair made during a rally held in March, where she linked the President’s decision to ban vapes in the Maldives to one of his children.

First Lady Sajidha Mohamed subsequently filed charges against Zubair, the MDP, and Fayyaz at the Family Court.

In its ruling delivered today, the Family Court stated that the comments made by Zubair and Ahmed Saleem (known as Maaz) compromised the safety and dignity of the President’s children.

The court further noted that MDP and Fayyaz bore responsibility for supporting the remarks instead of publicly condemning them.

It concluded that the First Lady has the right to seek compensation from the party and its chairperson.

Rehendhi Chambers, the law firm representing the First Lady, issued a statement following today’s ruling, noting that the case aimed to protect children from political harassment and public attacks and that President Dr. Muizzu and the First Lady have chosen not to file for monetary compensation at this time.