A group of Sri Lankan media professionals and social activists gathered outside the Maldivian High Commission in Colombo yesterday (17), expressing solidarity with journalists in the Maldives following the passage of the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill.
The bill, described by critics as a serious threat to press freedom, was passed in a special parliamentary session in Malé on September 16, despite protests by journalists, opposition lawmakers, and members of the public outside the legislature.
During the gathering in Colombo, the Sri Lankan group handed over a petition to Maldivian envoys, urging the government in Malé to safeguard freedom of expression and protect the rights of dissenting and opposition voices.
Media organizations, opposition parties, and rights groups in the Maldives have warned that the new legislation could significantly undermine press freedoms and erode democratic space.
