Civil Court has accepted a case filed by RaajjeTV, over the MVR 500,000 imposed on the station by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC).
RaajjeTV was fined MVR 500,000 on 8th October, for allegedly broadcasting content that "threatens national security". It was regarding comments made by Thimarafushi constituency MP Mohamed Musthafa, on a live TV show on 28th July.
The station first appealed MBC's decision on the 15th of October, 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, which was accepted on Thursday.
The station 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, while a second fine of MVR 1 million was imposed the same day it paid the first fine. All three cases have been appealed at the Civil Court.
