CIVICUS discusses Maldives’ new media bill with Naaif Ahmed, President of Maldives Journalists Association, a civil society organisation that promotes journalistic professional rights, supports local media and advocates for a safe and free working environment.
On 18 September, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu signed into law a Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill that dissolves two independent media bodies and replaces them with a commission empowered to fine, suspend and block outlets. Passed without meaningful consultation, the law has drawn condemnation from journalists and rights groups as an assault on press freedom. The move further constricts civic space in a country struggling to consolidate democratic freedoms since ending authoritarian rule in 2008.