The High Court has dismissed an appeal challenging the Civil Court’s decision to proceed with a case filed by First Lady Sajida Mohamed, concerning remarks made by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activist Mandhy Zubair at a party rally.

The MDP had argued that the Civil Court did not have the authority to hear the charges brought by the First Lady against the party, its chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, and activist Mandhy Zubair, who allegedly made the comments during a protest held in March. Despite this argument, the Civil Court ruled that it had jurisdiction to consider the matter.

That decision was appealed to the High Court by MDP. However, legal representatives for the party failed to attend the scheduled hearings. High Court Judge Mohamed Niyaz, who presided over the bench, stated that although court orders had been properly issued to the parties involved, their legal counsel did not appear on the assigned dates and failed to provide any explanation for their absence.

Justice Niyaz expressed the opinion that this failure warranted dismissal of the appeal. His view was supported by Justice Hussain Mazeed. The case was reviewed by a three-judge constitutional bench, and the majority ruling led to the dismissal of the appeal filed by MDP, Fayyaz Ismail and Mandhy Zubair.

Civil Court ruled on Sunday that Mandhy Zubair’s remarks had violated the President’s son’s right to protect his reputation. The court also held that Sajida Mohamed had legal standing to seek compensation as requested in her original claim.

In her petition, the First Lady stated that one of her reasons for taking the matter to court was to challenge political rivalries that infringe on the dignity and rights of children. She added that the case was also aimed at protecting the future rights of children who may hold similar positions to those of her own family members.