Yameen, Nasheed and Solih to deliberate on the state of press freedom amid growing unease

The three former presidents, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Mohamed Nasheed and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, are scheduled to meet Friday to discuss growing concerns over restrictions on press freedom in Maldives.

The People’s National Front (PNF) announced that the meeting will take place sometime tomorrow, though no further details were provided.

The development follows Yameen’s remarks on Wednesday, in which he said he was prepared to work with the other former presidents to restore press freedom.

His statement came in response to former MDP chairman Fayyaz Ismail’s call for the three leaders to set aside political differences and jointly address the current situation.

Speaking to Sun, Yameen said the recent attacks on press freedom were unacceptable, and that he was willing to work with Nasheed and Solih to halt the trend and restore those freedoms.

The issue has intensified after the Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced two Adhadhu journalists, Leevan Ali Naseer and Mohamed Shahuzan, to jail for violating a court order.