Former President Mohamed Nasheed has called on President Mohamed Muizzu not to ratify the bill to dismantle the free press in the Maldives.
In a post on X, Nasheed said his plea to Muizzu is not to ratify the Media Bill.
"Whenever a government suppresses people’s right to freedom of expression it inevitably makes the country less free and less prosperous," he wrote.
The bill proposed by government-aligned Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru was accepted for parliament consideration on Wednesday.
Journalists who were protesting against the bill faced obstruction from police and four of them were detained inside a police vehicle.
They were released with a warning not to protest near the President's Office. But journalists are continuing their protest on Thursday.
International organizations have also condemned the bill and called on the government to stop plans to control the media.
But the ruling party is pushing forward, with its parliamentary group leader MP Ibrahim Falah calling for the impalement of journalists.
