RaajjeTV's MVR 500K fine case heads to trial after failing court’s dispute resolution stage

The case filed by RaajjeTV over the MVR 500,000 fine imposed on it by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) has been sent to trial, having failed to reach a solution in the Civil Court’s dispute resolution stage.

RaajjeTV was penalized MVR 500,000, its third fine this year, for broadcasting a statement made by Thimarafushi Constituency MP Mohamed Musthafa on July 28^th, during a live program. MBC said that the parliamentarian had spoken in a manner that ‘encouraged to overthrow the current Government, encourage to carry out an illegal act, encourage a loss to the legal government and encouraged action that negatively impacted on national security and the safety and security of the elected President of the Maldives’.

The first hearing in the dispute resolution stage was held on December 12, where the state requested for more time to respond to the allegations.

At Thursday’s hearing, the state said that it wanted to take the case to trial. Hence, the case will be sent to trial, citing both parties were unable to reach a solution in the dispute resolution stage.

The station first appealed MBC's decision on the 15th of October, days after the fine was imposed, seeking to nullify the Commission's decision to fine RaajjeTV, highlighting that it had violated judicial and legal means.

However, the case was rejected by the Civil Court, noting that it can only be appealed after paying the fine, as per the Anti-Defamation and Freedom of Expression Law.

Hence, after paying the fine on 5th November, RaajjeTV refiled the case at Civil Court.

RaajjeTV has been fined thrice this year, under the controversial defamation law introduced in August 2016. The first fine, MVR 200,000, was imposed in March over a news story, while a second fine of MVR 1 million was imposed the same day it paid the first fine, over a speech made at an opposition rally.

The station maintains that the fines were imposed on it against procedures, and that the goal of the continued fines were to intimidate journalists and further restrict freedom of media and expression.