All the journalists who attended the parliament committee on independent institutions on Monday rejected the government-backed bill to dismantle free press in the Maldives.
Journalists expressed their views on the bill and requested the People's Majlis to reject it.
Adhadhu Editor Hassan Mohamed said the bill was drafted in a way to dismantle free press by criminalising journalists.
He expressed concern over the definition of facts and lies and questioned who would determine it.
Hassan said the journalist should not be blamed for reporting remarks by someone that turns out to be false.
“For example, in Adhadhu and I know some other news sites have to fact check a lot of President Muizzu's statements because he lies. So we are fact checking after reporting the news and the information. So if this law makes the first step an offence, I highlight that as a major issue," he stated.
Dhauru Managing Editor Ahmed Zahir (Hiriga) said the bill does not include any provision for the protection of journalists.
“I would say that this bill is in a worse state than it can be amended and passed in parliament. So my request is to reject it," he said.
Hiriga spoke against establishing a single commission to regulate both print and online media and expressed concern about some other provisions.
“The biggest battle in Maldives was not for independence, it was the battle to get press freedom. So many people were tortured and killed in jails and cells so that we can get this freedom," said the veteran journalist with 35-years of experience.
Ali Sulaiman, a journalist with more than 20 years of experience, said the bill was not in a state that it can be amended and raised concerns because it was drafted without any consultation. He also questioned about the objective of the bill.
