For the first time in the history of the Maldives Parliament, journalists were forcibly removed from a committee meeting on Wednesday after the session was declared in-camera to discuss the Media Regulatory Bill.

The Parliament Secretariat’s internal security, led by the Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms, dragged several reporters from the meeting room as they resisted leaving, leaving some with minor injuries. Journalists protested the move, shouting that it violated parliament’s standing orders, which they argued do not permit in-camera declarations to override media access.

The incident occurred during a sitting of the Parliament Standing Committee on Independent Institutions, which said the session was closed because public submissions on the bill contained personal information.

In previous cases, when attendees refused to leave committee meetings, sessions were typically rescheduled. Media workers had never before been physically removed from parliament.

The development comes just days after the Parliament Secretary General was overheard on an accidental livestream on the institution’s official YouTube channel, where she expressed contempt for the press.

The unprecedented removals have raised fresh concerns over transparency and press freedom in the Maldives, particularly as lawmakers debate legislation that would directly regulate the media.