On April 3, 2016, I was among 17 Maldivian journalists arrested outside President Abdulla Yameen’s office during a protest against declining press freedom. We were held for more than 10 hours, and a few of us were strip-searched twice. We had been protesting against what we see as an unprecedented crackdown on the free press. Haveeru , the country’s oldest and later its only print newspaper, has been forced shut, media offices have been torched, and journalists have been threatened and assaulted. Some have survived murder attempts and a colleague of mine has gone missing.

The Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago better known for luxury tourism, is regressing dramatically into dictatorship under President Yameen.

The plight of our first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed, made headlines around the world, but his jailing on a terror charge last year was the tip of the iceberg. Last month, a former vice-president, a former chief prosecutor and a chief judge were handed lengthy jail sentences, also on terror charges. The regime has cast a wide net in its bid to suppress dissent, cracking down on the press, human rights groups and the opposition alike.

The year 2014 saw numerous death threats sent to journalists, the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan, and a machete struck in the door of the office. The culprit — despite being caught on camera — has not been charged. In February 2013, Opposition-aligned private broadcaster Raajje TV’s reporter Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed was nearly beaten to death, while the station’s offices and equipment were destroyed in an arson attack in October. Yet only one of the 18 suspects was formally charged, and even he has not been brought to trial.

When we refused to back down in the face of the violence, the government and the ruling party resorted to the courts and the law to silence us. The media has consistently kept the pressure on the government, questioning officials over corruption, injustice and international criticism. This is why the country’s only newspaper was closed down.

The High Court ruled last year that Haveeru is not the sole property of its founder, Dr Mohamed Zahir Hussain, and that three others — Abdulla Farooq Hassan, Ibrahim Rasheed Moosa and Mohamed Naeem — have an equal share in the enterprise.

The civil court subsequently ordered Zahir to involve the three men in daily operations, including editorial decisions and financial transactions. It also issued a ruling in late April ordering Haveeru ’s staff to “respect employment contracts” after Farooq, Moosa and Naeem filed for a stay order to prevent the reporters from quitting en masse and registering a new paper.

The civil court has now appointed audit firm Ernst and Young to value the company, which employs around 70 people. Sources close to Zahir say the lawsuit is a politically motivated attempt to influence Haveeru ’s editorial independence. The government is also looking to criminalise defamation through the ruling party’s majority in parliament.

In March, 10 senior Maldivian journalists urged the government to reconsider the defamation and freedom of expression bill, expressing grave concern over proposed restrictions on press freedom and right to free speech. It will “prevent journalists and citizens from speaking out over serious accusations of corruption and the integrity of state officials”. The bill prescribes hefty fines, between MVR 50,000 ($3,200) and MVR five million ($324,000), for violations. Offenders who fail to pay up face a one-year jail term. Newspapers and websites that publish “defamatory content” may also have their licences revoked.

In addition, the day after we were released, I found out that three of my colleagues from Raajje TV have been slapped with charges. The three were arrested on November 2 while reporting on the police and military’s attempts to defuse a bomb found near the presidential palace. Charges range from touching a police officer without consent and obstruction to duties of law enforcement officers. This is the first time that journalists are being prosecuted since the end of the 30-year-old dictatorship of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Yameen’s brother, in 2008.

NGOs, too, are feeling the heat. Human rights groups have expressed concern over new regulations which vest a presidential appointee with the discretion to suspend or dissolve groups the government considers “a threat to national security” or “defamatory towards an individual”.

The Opposition, too, is battling against a shrinking political space. The parties, weakened by the jailing and exile of key leaders, are restricted further by a ban on street protests and posters in the capital city of Malé. They can no longer rent public spaces for rallies. Meanwhile, there are massive billboards with Yameen’s smiling face on almost every island. Though the next elections are in 2018, Yameen has already launched a re-election campaign, training his campaign leaders. His supporters are lobbying his party to grant him the party ticket without a primary.

The election commission, stacked with ruling party loyalists, has recently announced plans to introduce electronic voting. The abrupt announcement has been greeted with suspicions of vote-rigging.

Needless to say, Maldivians now doubt the possibility of a free and fair election in 2018.

Shafaa Hameedis a correspondent with Maldives Independentan online newspaper

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