The 31-day sprint: a timeline of the "media control law"

Independent MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru submits the media and broadcasting regulation bill to parliament at 7:05pm (the lawmaker affiliated with the ruling PNC previously withdrew similar legislation in November following successful lobbying by the MJA)

Preliminary debate begins in parliament

Journalists fill parliament gallery in silent protest

MJA warns bill represents "grave threat" to press freedom

Opposition MDP calls it "attempt to dismantle media freedom"

Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim acknowledges doing "a lot of work on some of the research for the bill" and speaking to media professionals

Parliament breaks for recess without concluding the preliminary debate

Journalists requests meeting with President Muizzu

President announces media grant policy allocating 0.1 percent of budget as state funding to media outlets

Maldives Media Council urged parliament to reject the bill and forms working group

The International Federation of Journalists joins its local affiliate MJA in condemning the bill and demanding its immediate withdrawal, criticising the absence of "genuine industry consultation and engagement."

The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the president to reject the "regressive" media regulation bill that would "dismantle press freedom and place the media under government control." 

Transparency Maldives warns the bill threatens free speech and restrict ability to "investigate serious allegations of corruption, abuse of state resources, misuse of power"

Civicus downgrades the Maldives' civic space rating to "obstructed," citing risks to press freedoms from a new media bill

MDP Chairman Fayyaz Ismail vows to repeal the law if the party returns to power.

Veteran editors warn at a press briefing that the media regulation law could set back press freedom 20 years

Parliament convenes extraordinary sitting during recess and concludes debate on the bill

The bill is accepts in a 49-12 vote and sent to committee for review

Journalists protest outside parliament. The group attempts a sit-in outside the President's Office. Riot police drags away six journalist and briefly detains two

Journalists stage sit-in outside the presidential residence

MJA condemns Majority Leader Falah's call  to "impale" journalists

Media Council and opposition MDP echoes the condemnation

Information ministry invites applications for grant funding for the media with a deadline of September 27

Journalists stand firm in the standoff, returning to protest outside the President's Office and sparring with Information Minister Ibrahim 'Asward' Waheed and Communications Minister Ibrahim Khaleel

President meets journalists, insists administration is "100 percent pro-media"

MJA delivers a letter from 21 international and domestic rights groups outlining concerns

Parliament's committee on independent institutions takes up the bill and sets a deadline of September 15 to complete its review

Attorney General Ahmed Usham rules out withdrawal, says government will propose amendments to address concerns. Most journalists walk out of the AG's press briefing in protest

Media Council meets the press and criticises the legislation as offering no solution for misinformation or fixing shortcomings in the regulatory framework, which they blame on an inadequate budget of MVR 3 million (US$ 194,550)

Appearing before the parliament committee, Broadcasting Commission members raise questions about the lack of research and consultation in drafting the bill. Media Council members reiterate their call to reject the bill. Both regulators highlight the insufficient budget to effectively monitor content and fulfil its oversight mandate

All but one of 22 media outlets demand withdrawal at a four-hour committee hearing

Human Rights Commission warns against merger of two regulatory bodies, flags provisions that require individuals to seek authorisation to blog, post content or express opinions online

MJA asks for four months to conduct a thorough legal analysis of the bill

MJA submits petition signed by 151 journalists from 41 outlets calling on the parliament and the president to reject the "media control bill." MJA says it reflects consensus of media workers estimated to be between 170 and 200

AG's office reveals 14 amendments including removing fines on individual journalists, shifting appointments from president to parliament and scrapping temporary suspension powers

Standoff escalates as parliamentary security forcibly removes MJA President Naaif and Adhadhu journalist Leevan Ali Naseer from a committee meeting 

Parliament accuses journalists of "forcibly" entering despite video showing them being properly escorted in after security checks

Committee conducts closed-door review sessions

Journalists take to the streets of Malé and hand out fliers warning that anyone with a phone could be regulated

AG Usham on state TV and categorically denies that the law would target personal social media accounts

Information Minister Asward offers "100 percent assurance" on press freedom

#SaveOurSocials begins trending on X as prominent lawyers and former Supreme Court justice interprets broad definition of "electronic media" as applying to individuals and content creators

Political appointees launches a counter-campaign in favour of the legislation

Majority Leader reiterates assurance that the law will not be used to regulate or close social media accounts

MJA holds public forum at Malé beach where former AG Ahmed Ali Sawad warns the bill could curtail free expression under the guise of media regulation

Rashwan Mohamed's viral speech calls for Monday protests

Deputy Speaker Nazim's January comments about the need for a a "multimedia council" to regulate social media resurface

President’s Office closes the “Media Fenda” set up across the street in May with electricity and charging ports, citing “repeated non-compliance” with guidelines after journalists protested at the spot over recent weeks

President Muizzu announces that applications will open within two weeks for soft loans for content creators under the creative economy fund launched almost a year ago

MJA President Naaif reveals attempts to intimidate and blackmail him

IFJ expresses concern over "online harassment and smear campaigns" targeting journalists leading the protests and advocacy campaign.

"Taking action against the powerful takes bravery and often, it takes risk. It also requires determination – to carry on, even when the going gets tough and sometimes because the fight is long," IFJ writes in open letter to Maldivian journalists.

Three PNC members of the independent institutions committee are replaced

As committee meets to finalise the bill, MDP MP Meekail Naseem – the sole opposition lawmaker on the committee – proposes motions to extend review until parliament returns from recess on October 6. "What's the rush?" he asks as PNC majority rejects his proposals

Meekail launches into a filibuster that lasts one hour and 50 minutes, reading out the bill in its entirety to propose the omission of individual provisions and the renaming of the new regulator as the "Media Control Commission"

When Meekail finishes around 4:20pm, the PNC majority votes to approve the bill with amendments sent by the AG office

Chair adjourns committee as journalists and members of the public start protesting and demanding the bill's withdrawal

In the ensuing chaos, PNC MP Imran Latheef damages a microphone in a tussle with MDP MP Mauroof Zakir

Committee resumes in a different room without Meekail or the protesters and the bill is passed

Bar Council submits comments and appeals for "meaningful stakeholder consultations"

A forum in defence of the bill organised by pro-government outlet Khulaasa is aired live on the state broadcaster

Speaking at the forum, Information Minister Asward assures that social media will not be targeted.

Journalists denied entry to the forum confronts Asward outside

Journalists gather to protest outside parliament at 8:30am

Clashes ensure as riot police obstructs journalists

Government supporters stage counter-protest with "Regulate the media" signs

Petitions committee dismisses the petition signed by 151 journalist on the grounds that concerns had been addressed by the AG's amendments

Riot police pushes back about 50 protesters

When crowd sits down in resistance, police forcibly lift and drag protesters, snatching megaphones and disrupting the Raajje TV live coverage

Adhadhu journalist Leevan Ali Naseer detained

Taxi driver Mohamed Shamin also arrested (both later released)

Committee meets at 3:00pm to review Counsel General's advice

MP Meekail objects to inadequate review time

Agenda shared with MPs at 4:59pm for 5pm extraordinary sitting

Committee report emailed after sitting begins

Less than 30 minutes given for amendments

Deputy Speaker expels seven opposition MPs as they protest in front of his desk challenging procedural violations

Nazim claims "normal rules don't apply" during recess

In an apparent Freudian slip, Nazim says the bill was "proposed on behalf of the government" by the Independent MP for Thulhadhoo. Villimalé MP Mohamed Ismail thanks the government for proposing the bill

Bill passed with 60 votes from the 75-seat PNC supermajority in the 93-member house. Velidhoo MP Mohamed Abbas from the Maldives Development Alliance casts sole dissenting vote

Final text not available on parliament website during vote

MJA calls on the president to veto the "unconstitutional" bill that would "muzzle the press and punish dissent on social media"

US embassy in Maldives urges government to "uphold the freedoms of expression, including dissenting and opposition voices"

Committee to Protect Journalists urges the president to reject the bill as it would "undermine the work of independent journalists and place the media under government control."

MJA vows to defy and disobey the bill.

The Maldives Media Council calls on the president to veto the bill

President Muizzu defends the bill in his podcast on the grounds of the prohibition of defamation under Islamic law. “Writing whatever comes to mind, without any heed or consideration for the truth, regardless of whatever harm it causes to another – I don’t think that’s something you can do as a human,” he says

In solidarity with their Maldivian peers, Sri Lankan journalists protest outside the Maldives High Commission in Colombo and hand over petition urging the rejection of the bill

The bill seeks to "muzzle dissent online and offline, both on traditional media and social media,” MJA President Naaif tells Al Jazeera, as the passage draws international media coverage

IFJ condemns the bill "as a direct assault on press freedom and democracy, which empowers the government to censor, punish and silence independent journalism," and declares "solidarity with the MJA in the face of abhorrent attacks, harassment, arrest, and intimidation levelled against its members"

President Muizzu ratifies the bill and establishes the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission

"We will not obey this law. We will go to the Supreme Court and ask it to dismantle this law," MJA President Naaif tells Reuters

Online outlet Adhadhu declares "solidarity with journalists and media outlets across the Maldives in rejecting this draconian legislation"

MJA holds emergency meeting, approves civil disobedience and agrees to petition the High Court to strike down the law as unconstitutional. The union also decides to encourage a boycott of the election of members to the new commission. A five-member committee is tasked with the creation of a rival self-regulatory press complaints council

MJA plans protest gathering at Malé's Usfangadu on Friday night (September 19)