Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has extended anniversary greetings to privately-run broadcaster, Raajje Television (RaajjeTV).
Solih extended his greetings through a post on his Twitter account, where he applauded the station and its staff for ‘upholding independent journalism in the Maldives, despite many obstacles and threats’.
RaajjeTV celebrates its 8th anniversary on December 15th, this year. The station has been at the receiving end of several threats and attacks during this time.
Just this year, the station payed off a record MVR 2 million fine imposed by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, in addition to several fines last year.
In October 2013, the station’s primary studio and corresponding control room were broken into, doused in petrol, and set ablaze. The entire premises was razed with efforts to seek compensation have been unsuccessful and the criminal proceedings for those arrested in the case being stalled for nearly a year.
The Maldives has consistently dropped rank in the press freedom index list prepared by Reporters Without Borders. While ranked 103 in 2013, the Maldives was ranked 118 in 2017.
Between 2016 and 2017, the Maldives fell from being ranked 112 to 117 due to several reported threats against journalists and the criminalization of defamation.
