President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has on Thursday ratified the bill to repeal the anti-defamation and freedom of speech act.

The bill was passed by parliament on November 14; 38 MPs had voted in favor of the bill while 13 voted against it.

Upon ratification, the Act has been published in the Government Gazette.

Repealing the anti-defamation law was a major pledge of President Solih.

The motion to repeal the law was submitted by then North-Henveiru constituency MP Abdulla Shahid, who was appointed as this administration’s foreign minister last Saturday.

Submitting the motion, MP Shahid noted that the anti-defamation law contradicts with articles 27- right to freedom of expression- and 33- right to protect one’s reputation and good name- as well as international treaties that the Maldives is party to.

While the law was passed amid protests by journalists over the various obstructions to press freedom, Shahid highlighted that the Joint Opposition decided to repeal it in honour of the brave journalists that have served the country.

Noting that the motion was submitted in honour of abducted journalist Ahmed Rilwan and slain blogger Yameen Rasheed, the lawmaker added that this step was taken “to remove the tapes on the mouths of Maldivian citizens and to break the bonds that entrap journalists”.

While the law was introduced in August 2016, the bill was submitted by MP Jaufar Dawood from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). 47 MPs from PPM voted in favor of the law.