The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 20 other civil society groups calling on Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to withdraw the proposed Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill, warning it poses a grave threat to press freedom and media independence.

If passed, the bill would empower a new state-controlled regulator with sweeping powers to suspend media outlets, block websites, and impose heavy fines on journalists, in violation of the Maldives’ constitutional and international commitments to free expression. The bill was accepted by parliament without meaningful consultation, despite protests by local journalists.

Read the full statement here.