Haveeru
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatTabloid size
Owner(s)Mohamed Zahir Hussain
EditorMoosa Latheef
FoundedJanuary 1, 1979
LanguageDhivehi and English
HeadquartersMalé, Maldives
Websitehttp://www.haveeru.com.mv/

Haveeru Daily (Dhivehi: ހަވީރު ދުވަހު ނޫސް) was the longest serving daily newspaper in the Maldives, established on January 1, 1979.[1]

Haveeru Online is owned by Haveeru Media Group – a company registered under the founder, Mohamed Zahir Hussain's three children – Lubna Zahir Hussain, Leena Zahir Hussain and Vail Zahir Hussain.

Name

The name Haveeru symbolises the onset of the cool evening time after the heat of the day, which is also the time when the newspaper is brought out. In Dhivehi literature, "haveeru kurun" means the get-together of poets and writers for literary exchanges. Thus, it was decided that the newspaper's name should also symbolise news, information and literary learning.[2]

History

Haveeru was registered on December 28, 1978 to fill the gap created by the absence of a newspaper, when Moonlight ceased publication on December 9, 1978. The first issue was published on January 1, 1979, under Mohamed Zahir Hussain's proprietorship,[2] who's a close friend of the President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom[citation needed] and has been serving Minister level positions of the government since 1978.

Haveeru Daily was the longest serving daily newspaper in Maldives, which marked its 20th anniversary on 1 January 1999.[2]

Haveeru is the first newspaper to be printed by offset.[2] The newspaper's efforts at getting its own printing press dates as far back as 1 April 1981, when a private printer declined to publish the newspaper.[2]

With just a break of one day, seen by many as an April Fools' Day joke, Haveeru rolled off from another press, but this time not in offset, but hand-written on stencils for cyclostyling. The page size was 30x42 cm. The newspaper first rolled off Haveeru's own offset press on 1 September 1986, with a new enlarged size of 38x55cm. The size was later increased to 42.5x60.5 cm on 1 January 1994.[2]

Haveeru is the first newspaper in the Maldives to be computerised, in 1985.[2] Haveeru was the first to begin using Thaana typewriters and Thaana word processors.[2]

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) bestowed its Global 500 Environmental Honour on Haveeru's photojournalist Mohamed Zahir, following a series of environmental articles published in Haveeru, which he wrote under his initials in Dhivehi "މޒ" (Meemu Zaviyani).[2]

Haveeru was the first newspaper in the Maldives to link up with a foreign news agency, the first link-up being the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) in 1985, Agence France Presse (AFP) in 1992, and Reuters in 1994. Since the use of radioteletype receivers wasn't a stable way to get news reception as it was disrupted by unstable weather, Haveeru turned towards satellite communications, and the newspaper became the first Maldives daily to establish links—via satellite—to get news and information for the print media.[2]

In May 1998, Haveeru established Haveeru Addu Bureau in Addu Atoll, Feydhoo Island, the first regional news centre by a Maldives newspaper. Two full-time journalists are stationed there to cover events in the southern atolls, and reporting is carried out by sending information via the World Wide Web.[2]

Court battle

Civil Court on Saturday (2 April 2016) also that Haveeru shut down its online news website as well as all other branches of the company – which ownership is being disputed over.[3][4]

Civil Court sent a letter to Chairman of Haveeru, Dr. Mohamed Zahir Hussain, saying that Haveeru needs to comply with the order issued by the court to temporarily halt all of the company's operations which includes using the logo of the company or publishing anything under the name of Haveeru unless in accordance with the procedure stated in the court order; so that the trial remains fair and just.[5][4]

The sale of the news agency was temporarily halted by the Civil Court and was appealed to the High Court,[6] but the High Court upheld the order.[7]

High Court ruled last September that Haveeru News Agency wasn't just the company's chairman Dr. Mohamed Zahir Hussain's. And that Farooq Hassan and Ibrahim Rasheed Moosa also had a stake in the company.[3]

Court had ordered Haveeru to pay Farooq and Ibrahim Rasheed one fourth of the profit made by the company to date, each.[4]

Civil Court issued the order for a temporary halt to Haveeru operations on Thursday in response to a lawsuit filed by Farooq and Ibrahim Rasheed.[4]

Court ordered a halt to all bank transactions from any of the company's accounts, and to halt any operation by the company without the involvement of Farooq and Ibrahim Rasheed until the ownership issue was resolved in court.[4][8]But the agency said that Haveeru Online News would remain operational as the order did not affect it.[9][4] After halting operations on both Haveeru Online and the magazine, public outcry was met with people standing with Haveeru along with high profile opposition figures lambasting at Yameen's government for increasing attacks on media freedom.[10] The Maldivian Democratic Party said in a statement “This is evidence of the government’s influence in judiciary and its atrocity," read in Dhivehi.[11]

Civil Court said that they issued the order based on the damage to Farooq and Ibrahim Rasheed – who hold a combined share of 50 percent, while Zahir holds only 25 percent. Adding that Farooq and Ibrahim Rasheed had the right to request for a temporary halt to Haveeru operations.[4]

High Court had ruled earlier that an agreement had been made between four individuals to set up Haveeru News Agency. And that all four founding members had a stake in the company even now, with the fourth shareholder being Mohamed Naeem.[4]

The court had said that Farooq, Naeem and Rasheed still had a stake in the company despite Haveeru News Agency and all subsidiary companies having been renamed. Due to the Civil Court ruling in Farooq and Rasheed's favor, Haveeru Online and other branches of Haveeru News Agency was shut down.[12][4]

Haveeru Staff Media Ban

Civil Court on 3 July 2016 delivered a verdict over a legal dispute over the ownership of Haveeru, barring all employees from working at a media outlet in the country for 2 years.[13][14] The verdict was delivered by Judge Mohamed Haleem, which could force the closure of the Mihaaru newspaper, which was set up in May by former journalists of Haveeru who resigned in mass after Haveeru was forced to shut down.[13] The verdict had sparked public outcry and condemnation and has been described as a violation of the constitution Article 37(a).[13] RSF slammed the government for its continued obstruction of critical and independent media.[15] The Maldivian Democratic Party stated that the ban was a mockery of justice and criticized Yameen's government as being an obstacle to reforming and ensuring the freedom of judiciary.[16] The Ex-Haveeru staff has sought to overturn the verdict delivered by the court.[17][18] The High Court has also ordered Haveeru Chairman, Zahir, to join the two appeals being heard by the appellate court.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ "Lost in translation: the story of Haveeru". Maldives Independent. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "About Haveeru Daily". Haveeru. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Court splits Haveeru ownership". Maldives Independent. 26 August 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Court orders Haveeru Online News shutdown". Sun. 2 April 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018 – via ArchiveMV.
  5. ^ "Court halts publication of Haveeru newspaper". Maldives Independent. 31 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Court order to halt the sale of Haveeru News Agency appealed in High Court". Sun. 8 July 2013. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018 – via ArchiveMV.
  7. ^ "High Court upholds injunction on sale of Haveeru". Sun. 26 July 2013. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018 – via ArchiveMV.
  8. ^ Visham, Mohamed (31 March 2016). "Nasheed slams order to halt Maldives' only newspaper". Haveeru. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016.
  9. ^ Visham, Mohamed (31 March 2016). "Court order halts Maldives' only newspaper". Haveeru. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016.
  10. ^ Visham, Mohamed; Adhshan, Ahmed (2 April 2016). ""We stand with Haveeru", shock, despair as Maldives reacts to only newspaper halt". Haveeru. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016.
  11. ^ Naafiz, Ali (1 April 2016). "Maldives opposition slams newspaper halt as anti-freedom move". Haveeru. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Supreme Court permits Haveeru to appeal case". Sun. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  13. ^ a b c Visham, Mohamed (4 July 2016). "Maldives court bans Haveeru staff from media". The Edition. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Court imposes 2-year ban on "Haveeru" employees". Sun. 3 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018.
  15. ^ Visham, Mohamed (5 July 2016). "World media watchdog slams "absurd" verdict to ban Haveeru journos". The Edition. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  16. ^ Visham, Mohamed (4 July 2016). "Maldives opposition labels Haveeru staff media ban "mockery of justice"". The EditIon. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  17. ^ Visham, Mohamed (5 July 2016). "Ex-Haveeru staff look to overturn media ban". The Edition. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  18. ^ "33 ex-Haveeru employees appeal the 2-year ban". Sun. 5 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018.
  19. ^ Visham, Mohamed (29 August 2016). "Court orders Haveeru chairman to join ex-staff media ban appeals". The Edition. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Zahir Hussain gets pulled into appeal of ex Haveeru employee ban". Sun. 28 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018.

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