Thursday
2nd May 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Supreme Court of the Maldives. Photo: TMJ
Maldives Media Council (MMC) says the body will file case in Supreme Court of the Maldives if President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the Evidence Law.
MMC on Sunday passed to file case in Supreme Court, if the President ratified the bill. The latest amendment compels journalists to reveal their sources.
A statement released by MMC on Thursday said that the law effectively muzzles in investigative journalism. Both Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) and MMC had appealed to the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee to not pass the law with the clause that calls for revelation of sources.
Journalists staged a protest as well, calling for a stay on passing the law and bringing in amendments to the law.
MJA said that this would discourage individuals from whistle blowing and discourage journalists from fulfilling their mandates. As such, journalists would face the possibility of punishment.
MMC also passed to send the government’s bill on halting the India Out movement to the Council’s Ethics and Legal Committee for review, citing serious concerns with the bill.