First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has decided to pursue a civil suit against Mariyam Zubair (Mandhy), a prominent activist of the opposition MDP, MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, and the party itself, regarding comments made about President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's son during the ongoing series of protests by the MDP.

This decision was announced by Azima Shakoor, a senior lawyer in the President's family's legal team, at a news conference held today at the President's private residence, M. Dhimyaath.

Azima said that First Lady Sajidha had stated that so far, no action had been taken against anyone for any political actions, comments, or work done against them, whether by the government or otherwise.

However, this step to file a lawsuit against these parties is a measure that she had to take as a mother for the safety of the children, Azima said.

Azima said that although this case involves criminal matters, First Lady Sajidha has decided to proceed with civil cases instead of criminal cases.

"At this point, we have noted that this has escalated to a level that endangers the bodies or lives of President Muizzu's family members, especially the young ones. While we note that these are criminal matters, I want to highlight that as the mother of the children, Madam Sajidha has decided not to proceed with criminal charges. If the relevant state institutions decide to proceed with those matters, she will leave that to them and proceed with the civil aspects of the cases," Azima said.

She said that the right to protection of name and reputation, as well as physical and mental safety, are rights guaranteed to children by the Constitution. She added that the Child Rights Act defines children as a protected group, and the international Convention on the Rights of the Child also protects these rights. Madam Sajidha decided to take action because these rights were being violated to the point of endangering the children's future and safety.

Azima said that the MDP is being sued because Mandhy made these comments at an MDP rally, and they believe the party has a legal responsibility in this matter. While Mandhy is being sued for her comments, Fayyaz is being sued because of a tweet he made regarding the issue.