Maldives crashes to 103rd in RSF Press Freedom Index

Reporters without Borders released their worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2013 on Wednesday. The index ranks countries according to levels of press and media freedoms. Countries with the best levels of press freedom are ranked highest.
The Maldives fell 30 places to 103rd place this year. Fiji, which suffered a coup in 2006, was also placed alongside the Maldives.
According to Reporters without Borders: “In the Maldives… the events that led to the resignation of President Nasheed led to violence and threats against journalists in state TV and private media outlets regarded as pro-Nasheed by the coup leaders.”

Reporters without Borders alleged that attacks on press freedom have increased since the change in government. The organisation claimed that many journalists have been arrested, assaulted and threatened during anti-government protests.

In addition to this Reporters without Borders noted that the Maldivian blogger Ismail Hilath Rasheed who openly calls to legalise homosexuality and apostacey, was nearly murdered by a group.

Its important to note that Hillath Rasheed is drug user and Police has a case against him since he was found in a state that he was over dozed by drugs.

Responding to Miadhu Daily in relation to the report of Reporters without Borders, Chair of of the media council, Ibrahim Khaleel said that Reporters without Borders have tried to taint the image of Maldives even in the past and have been issuing such unsubstantial reports. He said that no international organisation have made any surveys on the situation of press freedom in the Maldives so far and therefore it is ridiculous for Reporters without Borders to claim that the freedom of press in Maldives has declined.
Khaleel said that there is no restrictions in the press. However he noted that the Maldives is a hundred percent Muslim nation and therefore no one is allowed to violate the tenets of Islam. He said that it is the decision of the people of Maldives.

In addition to this Khaleel also noted that Hilath Rasheed’s website was banned because it had pornographic content and blasphemous writings.

Meanwhile, many people note that the murder attempt on Hilath is a scheme plotted by a group to taint the image of Maldives and to depict the country where extremism is rampant. Many people also have noted that the murder attempt on Hilath was made on the night when former President Nasheed questioned the legitimacy of the current government during his visit to UK.