Maldives remains ‘very hostile for independent and opposition media’
The Maldives remains “very hostile for independent and opposition media” since the February 2012 “coup d’état,” reads the Reporters Without Borders’ 2016 press freedom index entry on the Maldives. “In a state of emergency and ‘national security’ climate, the media continue to be subjected to police brutality and government obstruction,” RSF observed.
21 Apr 2016, 9:00 AM
The Maldives has been ranked 112th on the France-based Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index for a second consecutive year. The 2016 press freedom index, which ranks some 180 countries, said that the Maldives remains “very hostile for independent and opposition media” since the February 2012 “coup d’état.”
“In a state of emergency and ‘national security’ climate, the media continue to be subjected to police brutality and government obstruction. Many Maldivian journalists have reported being the targets of death threats,” RSF observed.
Citing a report that identified political parties as the main threat to journalists, RSF added: “This poisonous climate reinforces self-censorship.”
The Maldivian media have recently launched a campaign for press freedom, with some 183 journalists signing a petition demanding the withdrawal of government-sponsored legislation on criminalising defamation and justice for attacks on journalists.
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