Petition calling to repeal Media Control Act

An e-petition has been submitted calling to repeal the Media and Broadcasting Regulation Act—commonly referred to as the “Media Control Act”—and the introduction of new legislation that establishes a regulatory framework for the media while safeguarding press rights and freedoms.

The petition, submitted by Mohamed Usam Ubaidhulla, an Executive Board member of the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), stated that the Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill was passed last September amidst significant concerns raised by journalists and civil society organizations regarding its provisions.

The petition further underscored that the bill was enacted even after the MJA had requested a four-month period to conduct and submit a comprehensive review of existing media and broadcasting regulations prior to the new legislation being ratified into law.

According to the petition, the current law is structured in a manner that undermines fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution, including the right to equality, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, the right to seek and disseminate information, the right to work, and the right to fair administrative action.

Furthermore, it asserts that the Media and Broadcasting Regulation Act was formulated in breach of the standards set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)—to which the Maldives is a party—particularly in relation to the lawful limitation of freedom of expression, press freedom, and the right to work.

The petition further highlights that the law grants the Media and Broadcasting Commission extensive and unrestricted powers, including the authority to suspend specific content prior to the conclusion of investigations, as well as the power to suspend the licenses of newspapers and broadcasting outlets.

As such, the petition calls to draft and submit a new bill, after consultation with media organizations and civil societies, and incorporating legal safeguards that regulate the media while ensuring its independence and protection of rights.

The Parliament’s e-petition portal shows that the petition, submitted last Sunday, has so far received 15 signatures. It will remain open for signatures until June 16^th.

Notably, MJA, in a statement on May 3^rd commemorating World Press Freedom Day, presented nine key demands to the government. These include the immediate repeal of the Media Control Act to enable the establishment of a self-regulatory framework, as well as ceasing the criminal investigation into the online news outlet ‘Adhadhu’ in relation to the documentary ‘Aisha’.

In its statement marking World Press Freedom Day, the MJA stressed that the four-place decline in the RSF index reflects an urgent need for decisive measures to safeguard press freedom in the Maldives.

Maldives has fallen to 108th place in the latest World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This represents a decline of four positions from its ranking of 104th last year. According to the RSF report, the country’s overall score decreased from 52.46 to 49.23. Notable declines were recorded across several indicators, with the political ranking dropping from 123 to 129, the economic ranking from 118 to 157, the legal ranking from 103 to 126, and the security ranking from 56 to 77.

As such, Maldives is now categorized among nations where the practice of journalism is considered difficult.