Journalists Protest on Press Freedom Day 2026
On World Press Freedom Day, the Maldives Journalists Association staged a silent protest outside the President’s Office, carrying a coffin to symbolise what they describe as a deepening threat to press freedom. Police intervened during the demonstration and seized the coffin as the protest was ongoing.
The group called on authorities to listen to journalists’ concerns, as the protest coincided with the Maldives falling four places to 108th in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), with its overall score also dropping from 52.46 to 49.23.
RSF attributed the decline to mounting pressure on independent media, controversial legislation, and recent police action against journalists. A key concern is a disputed media regulation bill passed during an extraordinary parliamentary session in August 2025 without consultation with media professionals.
The law merged the Maldives Media Council and the Broadcasting Commission into a new body with sweeping powers, raising fears over its independence and the potential for disproportionate penalties against media outlets.
Tensions have also been reflected on the ground. On the day the bill was passed, journalists protested outside state institutions, describing it as a serious threat to press freedom. Police briefly detained at least three journalists, while RSF also highlighted inflammatory remarks by a senior lawmaker who called for media workers to be “impaled.”
Concerns have since intensified following a police raid on Adhadhu News after it aired a documentary featuring allegations against President Mohamed Muizzu.
Authorities seized equipment, and senior staff members were subjected to travel bans and passport confiscations.
Despite this, Chief Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef rejected claims that the decline in the index was linked to the media law or recent actions.
Speaking at the “Presser with the Spox” briefing, he said some information submitted to international organisations had been incomplete, while other claims were inaccurate or amplified by artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT.
