On 7 April 2023, two senior Maldivian journalists, Ahmed Naaif and Ahmed Zahir, were issued serious threats via phone and text following the publication of an article about a high-profile arbitration case between a Maldivian tourism group and Hilton Worldwide.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) in strongly condemning the threats against two respected journalists and calls on the Maldivian police to take urgent measures to ensure the protection of media workers in the Maldives and swift apprehension of the perpetrators.

The MJA said the men received several intimidatory threats of killing and assault by unknown perpetrators, warning Ahmed Naaif to leave the country ‘within five days’ after the publication of the Dhauru article, titled ‘Siyam and HiltonCase: Red Warning to Investors’, on 6 April.