Rilwan abduction: cover-ups and negligence
“[...] Journalist Rilwan, who is now dead, no doubt, a very regrettable matter,” President Abdulla Yameen said Tuesday, August 7. The callously offhand remark came during a tirade against allegations leveled by his jailed former deputy. The remark was met with shock...
Journalists arrested in continuing crackdown in the Maldives
The Maldives Police arrested three journalists of opposition-aligned Raajje TV on March 16 and charged two of them with criminal offences for allegedly uploading videos on social media which were critical of the government. The police arrested senior video journalist...
Riding the Waves of Repression: State of Press Freedom in the Maldives
Maldives is weathering a severe political crisis following the Supreme Court’s February 1 order to release political prisoners and reinstate 12 Members of Parliament. President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency and cracked down on all protests. The media...
Press Freedom Watchdogs Urge Maldivian Authorities to Respect Media Rights
Amid the growing political crisis in the Maldives, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are deeply concerned by ongoing restrictions and threats on media and press freedom in...
Maldivian TV station forced to suspend broadcast fearing military crackdown
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned over the deteriorating state of press freedom in the Maldives amidst political turmoil. The suspension of Raajje TV’s broadcasts on February 8 does not portend well for dissenting voices in the...
Ruling party leader calls for shut down of Raajje TV in the Maldives
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the statement by a senior political leader calling for the shutdown of a television station amid the unfolding political crisis in the Maldives on February 4. The IFJ demands respect for press freedom in the...
Five journalists face defamation charges in the Maldives
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) in condemning the defamation case against five journalists and a media group in Male, Maldives. The IFJ urges the complainant to drop the charges immediately. Islamic...
South Asia Media Solidarity Bulletin: October, 2017
Welcome to the monthly e-bulletin of the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN). The next bulletin will be sent on November 15, 2017, and your inputs are most welcome. We encourage contributions to let others know your activities; to seek solidarity and support...
Raajje TV: Fines, fundraising and lawsuits
During a daily team meeting one Sunday at Raajje TV, journalists and producers debated on ways to minimise the impact of their third fundraising drive for the year on their work. The campaigns – the current one launched on October 8 – battle exorbitant fines imposed...
Living to Tell the Story
When journalists are under severe threat in a beleaguered media in the Maldives, one of the only ways to survive and continue to inform the public might be to leave, says Zaheena Rasheed About a year ago, I packed a small suitcase and reluctantly left the Maldives,...
OTHER NEWS
IFJ urges Maldives’ president-elect to guarantee press freedom
Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won the 2018 Maldives presidential election beating incumbent president Abdulla Yameen. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) congratulates president-elect Solih and urges him to fulfill...
Foreign journalists’ visas rejected ahead of Maldives’ elections
Ahead of presidential elections in the Maldives on September 23, allegations have emerged of foreign journalists been denied visas to cover the elections. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has strongly criticised the Maldives’ Government over their...
Raajje TV receive maximum fine under draconian defamation law
The Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) has fined opposition-aligned Raajje TVwith an exorbitant MVR two million (USD 130,000) for live broadcasting a politician’s speech from an opposition demonstration that was deemed defamatory towards President Abdulla Yameen...
Rilwan abduction: cover-ups and negligence
“[...] Journalist Rilwan, who is now dead, no doubt, a very regrettable matter,” President Abdulla Yameen said Tuesday, August 7. The callously offhand remark came during a tirade against allegations leveled by his jailed former deputy. The remark was met with shock...
Journalists arrested in continuing crackdown in the Maldives
The Maldives Police arrested three journalists of opposition-aligned Raajje TV on March 16 and charged two of them with criminal offences for allegedly uploading videos on social media which were critical of the government. The police arrested senior video journalist...
Riding the Waves of Repression: State of Press Freedom in the Maldives
Maldives is weathering a severe political crisis following the Supreme Court’s February 1 order to release political prisoners and reinstate 12 Members of Parliament. President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency and cracked down on all protests. The media...
Press Freedom Watchdogs Urge Maldivian Authorities to Respect Media Rights
Amid the growing political crisis in the Maldives, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are deeply concerned by ongoing restrictions and threats on media and press freedom in...