The Maldivian parliament has passed legislation to regulate journalists and media institutions despite widespread concerns that it would curb press freedom in the atoll nation.
The parliament late Tuesday approved the Media and Broadcasting Regulations Bill, which local and foreign rights groups have described as an attack on free press.
Under the legislation, a regulatory commission would be set up with sweeping powers, including the authority to suspend media outlets and block newspaper websites during an investigation.
Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu must ratify the legislation before it takes effect, and could do so as soon as Wednesday.
鈥楾he Media Bill has been passed disregarding calls from over twenty organisations, both local and international,鈥� the privately-owned Mihaaru daily reported.
It said rights groups, including the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, had demanded the bill be scrapped because 鈥榠t poses an immense threat to press freedom and freedom of expression.鈥�
RSF said last month that the bill contained vaguely worded provisions prohibiting journalists from publishing information 鈥榣ikely to be false鈥�.
鈥楾his opaque wording could easily be used as a pretext for censorship, particularly to limit coverage of abuses of power,鈥� the watchdog warned.
The new law provides for the creation of a regulatory commission of seven members, three of whom will be appointed by parliament, which is currently dominated by president Mohamed Muizzu鈥檚 party.
Four members of the commission are to be chosen from the media industry, but they could be dismissed by parliament.
The commission will also have powers to impose sanctions, including fines of up to 25,000 rufiyaa ($1,625) for journalists and up to 1,00,000 rufiyaa ($6,500) for media outlets.
It will also be able to revoke media licences and initiate punitive proceedings against editorial offices.
In addition, the commission will be able to retroactively sanction content published up to one year before the rules come into force.
The Maldivian foreign ministry said the new legislation aimed to strengthen public confidence in media and address misinformation and content manipulation.
However, the rules will not apply to social media accounts, the ministry added in a statement Wednesday.
The RSF in its World Press Freedom Index has ranked the Maldives, a tiny nation better known for its upmarket tourism in the Indian Ocean, at 104 out of 180.
Maldives is better placed than its immediate neighbours 鈥� Sri Lanka at 139 and India at 151.
