Residents of Addu City have expressed sympathy for the ‘harassment’ on the freedom of expression, as those that set up a donation box in solidarity with Raajje Television’s ‘Dignity Fund’ said on Friday.

The donation box is placed inside the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) office in Hithadhoo ward. 

The Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) levied a fine of MVR 1 million on the station on 6th April for content it aired while broadcasting an opposition rally live on October 2016. 

At the Maldives United Opposition rally, a speaker had expressed concern for his viewed lack of progress and development under President Abdulla Yameen’s administration – saying it has only brough ‘theft, corruption, and pain’. In simply having broadcasted the speech, Raajje Television was held liable. 

Raajje Television was fined under the Defamation and Freedom of Expression Act, the second it has been forced to pay this year. 

The station set up its Dignity Fund, a fund-raising drive to pay for the libel fines, in March after MBC imposed a MVR 200,000 fine for a story it did on a rape case, of which the investigation was reportedly being influenced.

The Maldives Democracy Network, Transparency Maldives, and four former chairs of the MBC had expressed concern and condemned the effective ‘crackdown’ on freedom of expression.