RaajjeTV has said that Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC)’s decision to fine the station a total of MVR 250,000 over a news story, “was made without due process,” in order to further “repress” the station.

RaajjeTV was fined MVR 200,000 under the controversial bill on defamation and freedom of speech, over a news story broadcast in its news bulletins on November 19, 2016, while the journalist who covered the story was fined MVR 50,000.

The story was on a sexual abuse case in Hithadhoo, Addu City, and was reported as told by the victim’s family, who, to this day, claims that an employee at the Hithadhoo ward of the Ministry of Gender of Law is trying “to bury the case,” by swaying those overseeing the case.

“Punishing RaajjeTV for broadcasting the piece without relevant institutions conducting a transparent investigation- while the victim’s family consistently maintained that the individual has been influencing the case- is unjustly conducive to allowing individuals in power to punish those who are not,” said RaajjeTV in a statement issued on Tuesday, adding that “this not only violates the rights of the victim, but encourages those who commit such crimes.”

In a statement released on Tuesday, the station emphasized that MBC’s fine was imposed “without referring to the evidence submitted by [RaajjeTV’s] legal team,” including the fact that the victim’s family had agreed to testify on behalf of RaajjeTV.

“In spite of the station having expressed its capacity to put forth details of those who had accused the employee and provided information to the journalist, MBC decided to hastily conclude its enquiry, before any other institutions investigating the case, so as to place a hefty fine on RaajjeTV,” said the station.

It said that “this alone proves that there was no due process, and that the punishment imposed with the explicit intention to torment RaajjeTV.”

Citing a credible source, RaajjeTV’s said that it has learnt that the fine was imposed because of the pressure to do so, by some of its members who are known activists of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

“RaajjeTV has also been informed that these members are working to impose another penalty on the station, over a separate case at the Commission, also filed under the Defamation Act. Majority of the public is aware that these members are working to extinguish journalism and the broadcasting industry in the country, and to quash RaajjeTV, under the pretense of regulation” it said.

The station said that despite these unlawful acts by those abusing power, RaajjeTV “will continue to protect media freedom until its final hours.”

The station further said that as MBC’s decision to fine RaajjeTV was made solely on the “utterly draconian defamation bill,” it proves that it had “not violated any broadcasting regulations.”

RaajjeTV’s statement also highlighted that local NGOs, journalists and international organizations have deemed the defamation bill “as a tyrannical move to stifle press freedom and freedom of speech.”