Channel 13, a media outlet known for its critical stance on government policies, announced on Thursday night that its servers have been breached by unidentified hackers.
In a press statement, Channel 13 asserted that they view this as a targeted attack against prominent media outlets in the Maldives.
"We strongly condemn the actions of those operating outside the law to silence the media by hacking servers. This follows a pattern of attacks on journalists and efforts by anti-democratic elements to obstruct press freedom," the statement read.
The station noted that the cyberattack aimed at halting its operations constitutes a criminal offense under Chapter 240 of the Maldives Penal Code, which addresses computer and cyber-related crimes.
Channel 13 further stated that despite attempts to gag the media through restrictive orders, the imprisonment of two journalists for alleged violations, and now the hacking of servers, history shows that such actions will not force the media to retreat. Instead, they maintained that the influence of the press would only grow stronger.
The station reassured the public that it would not be deterred from disseminating information, regardless of intimidation, censorship, imprisonment, or hacking attempts.
The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) has also issued a statement condemning the cyberattack on Channel 13's servers.
