Ahmed Naish

Ahmed Naish is a Maldivian freelance journalist, writer and translator based in the capital Malé with nearly two decades of experience in the media industry. He previously worked as a journalist and editor at the Maldives Independent (formerly Minivan News), covering the Maldives’ tumultuous transition to democracy, first multi-party elections and series of political crises for the country’s leading English-language news outlet. Formed in exile in Sri Lanka in 2004 during the country’s pro-democracy movement, the website was known for tackling taboo subjects such as religious extremism that were neglected by local media. In 2017, the Maldives Independent won the UK-based Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Journalist Award. Since the paper was shut down in January 2020, Naish has written for local and international publications including Al Jazeera.