Maldives: IFJ Alarmed by Increasing Hostility towards Media

January 20, 2012

IFJ Alarmed by Increasing Hostility towards the Media in Maldives

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Maldives Journalists’ Association (MJA), in expressing concern over the recent escalation of hostile rhetoric towards the media in the Republic of Maldives.

Mohamed Zuhair, press secretary to the President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, on January 11 threatened criminal action against media that spread allegedly “baseless and demonstrably false” claims about government actions.

The MJA has contested these allegations, arguing that the media are at liberty to report statements made by responsible opposition politicians, even when time constraints do not permit detailed fact-checking.

Following this statement by the president’s press secretary, the Maldives Minister for Transport and Communication, Adhil Saleem, declared publicly on January 20 that broadcast stations suspected of “misleading the public” could have their licences revoked.

Under Maldives law, the grant and renewal of broadcast licences is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, an autonomous and non-partisan body. Licences once granted cannot be revoked except through due process of law.

The IFJ joins the MJA in drawing the government’s attention to this feature of the law and demanding an end to the hostile rhetoric from officials of the Maldives government.

“There has in recent times been an intensification in verbal attacks on the media by the government of the Maldives. The IFJ calls for the resolution of this hostility through talks in good faith between the government and professional bodies of journalists, such as the MJA”, said the IFJ Asia-Pacific.

“The IFJ calls on President Nasheed and ministers of the Maldives government to cease the hostile rhetoric and respect the ethical and legal imperatives of media freedom”.

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific

Find the IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific

ENDS

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