Jailed former president Mohamed Nasheed has not filed a defamation against the state media, main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) insisted Thursday.
Police spokesperson confirmed that an individual had filed a complaint of libel against the MDP leader published on an unregistered news website.
However, the police refused to confirm that the case was under investigation under the recently ratified defamation law and also refused to name the website.
MDP spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy labelled the case as government propaganda.
"There's no need to use Nasheed's name to show the public that an unconstitutional law works," the North-Maafannu MP said.
Maldives state media had broadcast a report heavily criticizing Nasheed who was jailed on a terror charge last year before he was allowed to leave the country in an internationally brokered deal in January.and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
The entire report aired on state run Television Maldives’ evening news last Thursday was based on a Tweet by Gayoom.
Gayoom who has been locked in a bitter power struggle with his half brother and incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom called for courage to succeed in political endeavours.
“Integrity and courage are crucial for success in all political endeavours. If we allow fear to restrict our actions we will never deliver,” the elder Gayoom’s Tweet read.
Public Service Media (PSM) which runs TVM had interpreted the Tweet as Gayoom publicly supporting former president Mohamed Nasheed.
According to the report which was also published on the PSM website, accused the Gayoom who ruled the country for three decades before losing the 2008 president elections to Nasheed after linking the Tweet to the election “anti-Islamic” slogan “Fun without fear” used by Nasheed in the 2013 election campaign.
The report also said Gayoom now 80, was supporting his arch nemesis Nasheed.
Gayoom is also riding on the back of his lawmaker son, Faaris Maumoon to re-gain popularity within the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the report alleged.
The report sparked intense public criticism especially on social media and was removed shortly after.
Most people labelled the report as libel which falls under the defamation law which was signed into law by president Yameen earlier Thursday.
PSM quickly removed the report after the public accused the state media of defaming the ex-president Gayoom.
Mihaaru has been unable to obtain a comment from PSM over the report.
The law, which the government pushed through its control in the parliament despite widespread international criticism, criminalises speech deemed to be defamatory, to comment against “any tenet of Islam”, to “threaten national security” or to “contradict general social norms”. Those committing an offence under the bill can face fines and failure to pay the fine will result in jail sentence of three to six months.
PSM was one of the few media organisation that backed the bill when it was being vetted by a government controlled parliamentary committee.
The bill now compels journalists to reveal their sources to prove the veracity of their published articles, news reports or comments and allows for media licenses to be cancelled in addition to the criminal liability faced by individual journalists.
The dangerous new provisions greatly hinder the functioning of an independent media devoid of intimidation and is less about providing redress for victims of defamation.
Those found guilty of breaking the new law will be fined between 50,000 Maldivian rufiya ($3,200) and 2 million rufiya ($130,000) or face a jail term of between three and six months.
Gayoom had also urged his party lawmakers to vote against the bill.
The rift between the two brothers widened over the elder Gayoom’s move to block government proposed amendment to the Tourism Act.
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