President Mohamed Muizzu has dissolves the Media Fenda (Media Hall) in front of the President's Office amid protests against the government-backed bill to dismantle free media in the country.
In a statement on Sunday, the President's Office said the Media Fenda was dissolved because unauthorized people were using the site "pretending to be journalists."
“Unauthorized persons are entering the Media Fenda, obstructing the work of news and information gathering and disrupting the system within the Green Zone, in violation of some provisions of the rules governing the use of the Media Fenda,” the President’s Office said.
The President's Office also said some journalists who use the site complained about the gathering of journalists at the Media Fenda to stage protests.
But the Media Fenda has not ben used by journalists since it opened on May 29 until the protests started against the media control bill. Journalists have been working at the site since protests started earlier this month.
Journalists have gathered in the area on multiple occasions since the government-controlled People's Majlis accepted the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission Bill.
Some journalists were detained during the first gathering, but police did not interfere with later gatherings because they were protesting inside the Media Fenda - an area designated for journalists.
