Maldives President Ratifies Media Control Bill, Ignoring Journalists’ Pleas and Democratic Principles

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Sunday ratified the widely opposed Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill, cementing into law one of the most repressive pieces of legislation on press freedom in the country’s democratic era.

The decision comes despite weeks of fierce resistance from journalists, civil society, and international watchdogs who warned that the bill represents a direct assault on free expression and the public’s right to know. A petition signed by 151 journalists from 41 outlets, mass protests outside the Parliament, and urgent appeals from global press freedom groups were all brushed aside by the administration.

The newly ratified law dissolves the Maldives Media Council and BroadCom, replacing them with a government-appointed Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC). This body will wield sweeping powers to license, monitor, and penalize media outlets and individual journalists. Critics say the law empowers the state to silence dissent under vague provisions tied to “national security,” “legitimate government,” and “public order.” It also introduces crippling fines and potential shutdowns of outlets that do not align with government narratives.

“This is not regulation, it is control,” the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) declared in a statement. “The President has chosen to ratify repression, not democracy.”

The ratification underscores the Muizzu administration’s defiance of both domestic and international calls for restraint. Organizations such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) had all urged the government to withdraw the bill, warning that it violates constitutional guarantees and international commitments. Instead, the President fast-tracked the legislation after the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) used its supermajority in Parliament to bulldoze the bill through, rejecting opposition amendments and silencing protests inside the Majlis chambers.

Journalists, many of whom were beaten and dragged by police during peaceful sit-ins earlier this week, say the struggle is not over. Calls are already mounting for legal challenges and sustained protests. “Press freedom in the Maldives has been dealt a heavy blow today,” said veteran journalist, who joined protests outside the Majlis. “But history shows repression never lasts. Journalists will continue to resist, because the truth cannot be legislated out of existence.”

With the stroke of a pen, President Muizzu has taken the Maldives a step backwards, undermining the very principles of democracy he pledged to uphold. The ratification of the Media Control Bill marks not just a legal change, but a political turning point: a government openly at war with independent journalism.