The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Maldives Journalists’

Association (MJA), in expressing concern over the recent escalation of

hostile rhetoric towards the media in the Republic of Maldives.

Mohamed

Zuhair, press secretary to the President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, on

January 11 threatened criminal action against media that spread allegedly “baseless

and demonstrably false” claims about government actions.

The

MJA has contested these allegations, arguing that the media are at liberty to

report statements made by responsible opposition politicians, even when time

constraints do not permit detailed fact-checking.

Following

this statement by the president’s press secretary, the Maldives Minister for Transport and

Communication, Adhil Saleem, declared publicly on January 20 that broadcast

stations suspected of “misleading the public” could have their licences revoked.

Under

Maldives

law, the grant and renewal of broadcast licences is within the exclusive

jurisdiction of the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, an autonomous and non-partisan

body. Licences once granted cannot be revoked except through due process of

law.

The

IFJ joins the MJA in drawing the government’s attention to this feature of the

law and demanding an end to the hostile rhetoric from officials of the Maldives government.

“There

has in recent times been an intensification in verbal attacks on the media by the

government of the Maldives.

The IFJ calls for the resolution of this hostility through talks in good faith

between the government and professional bodies of journalists, such as the

MJA”, said the IFJ Asia-Pacific.

“The

IFJ calls on President Nasheed and ministers of the Maldives government to cease the hostile

rhetoric and respect the ethical and legal imperatives of media freedom”.

For further

information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific

on +612 9333 0950

The IFJ

represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

Find the

IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific

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IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific