Media will not be targeted in new defamation bill, assures AG Office

While the government prepares to propose a new bill on defamation to the People’s Majlis, the Attorney General’s Office has said that the bill will not target media institutions.

The Office on Monday revealed that that a new defamation bill is among the 28 bills to be submitted to parliament during its third session this year. There have been some concern over this, considering the attacks on media freedom with the previous one introduced in 2016.

Speaking regarding the bill, AG Office’s communications director Hussain Hassan assured that it poses no threat to media freedom.

As such, he said that the purpose of the bill “is to make defamation a civil offense,” and that it “does not include any clauses targeting the media”.

While media institutions were fined up to MVR two million under the previous Anti-Defamation Bill, Hussain said that the new proposal does not give any institutions authority to obtain compensation in defamation cases.

He stressed that it can only be done through court, adding that the accused will be answerable and that a certain news platform or journalist “will not be held accountable”.

The anti-defamation law introduced in jailed former President Abdulla Yameen’s tenure in August 2016 mainly targeted media institutions.

While privately-run RaajjeTV was fined MVR 3.7 million under the law by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (Broadcom), then-commission president had later admitted that the law was used to target a certain station.

Under the 2016 law, Broadcom’s decision can only be appealed at court after paying the fine, which had to be done in 30 days.

Incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih repealed the law shortly after taking office in November 2018, one of his key pledges during election.