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President ratifies bill to repeal Defamation and Freedom of Speech Act

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has ratified the Bill to Repeal the Defamation and Freedom of Speech Act, under Article 92 of the Maldivian Constitution.

The bill was passed by the Parliament on November 14, at the ninth sitting of the third session of the Parliament. Upon ratification, the act has been published in the Government Gazette. Any act of defamation, if proved in a court of law, can carry a fine between USD 1,617 and USD 129,400, according to the act.

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom ratified the Defamation and Freedom of Expression Act on August 2016.