The Independent Institutions Committee of the Parliament decided on Monday to report to the police instances of death threats received by journalists who have publicly opposed the proposed media bill. The committee affirmed the journalists' right to report these threats.
During a four-hour meeting with journalists at the Parliament, Meekail Ahmed Naseem, an opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP, highlighted that some journalists had received death threats and faced danger due to their opposition to the bill. He suggested identifying these journalists and reporting the matters to the police.
MDP MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem at a parliamentary meeting. (Sun Photo/Maniu Mohamed)
PNC MP Abdullah Shareef supported Meekail's motion, requesting that journalists who received death threats submit their accounts to the committee in writing. Following this, the committee unanimously decided to refer the death threats against journalists to the police.
Photos of some journalists who have spoken against the media bill have circulated on social media, accompanied by death threats and labels identifying them as activists. Notably, Ali Rifshan, President of the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), and some MJA journalists have been targets of these threats.
The controversial bill, sponsored by Abdul Hannan Abubakar, the independently elected MP for Thulhaadhoo, who maintains close ties to the government, includes the following key provisions:
Establishment of a Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission.
The commission will comprise three members appointed by the President.
The remaining four members will be elected by the media.
The President of the Commission will be appointed by the President.
A fine ranging from MVR 5,000 to MVR 25,000 for non-compliance with a commission’s order.
Fines of up to MVR 100,000 for illegal activities.
The Commission possesses the authority to temporarily suspend media registration during ongoing investigations of reported cases.
Pending court proceedings, the commission can cancel a newspaper's registration.
The commission has the power to block newspaper websites and halt TV broadcasts.
The commission can also investigate cases backlogged from one year prior to its establishment.
The bill was accepted during an extraordinary parliamentary sitting on Wednesday.
The Broadcasting Commission (BroadCom) and the Maldives Media Council (MMC) were summoned to parliament on Sunday to discuss the bill. The parliament’s Committee on Independent Institutions also met with individual news agencies on Monday. Journalists and the MMC have consistently called for the immediate withdrawal of the bill without any amendments.