Parliament has endorsed bill to repeal Anti-Defamation and Freedom of Expression Act.
At the ninth sitting of the third session of parliament, the bill was endorsed with 38 parliamentarians voting in favour. The bill to repeal the controversial law was submitted by Parliamentarian Abdulla Shahid. The bill, which doles out hefty fines to the tune of USD 65,000 both for members of the public and for journalists, if found guilty of defamation, was ratified by President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in August 2016, amid protests by journalists and the opposition.
Journalists and opposition criticised the act, for its vague definitions of slander and libel. Repealing the Anti-Defamation and Freedom of Expression Act was a campaign pledge of President-Elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.