Mauritius, once a beacon of democracy in Africa, is rapidly deteriorating into a state where freedom of speech and press liberties are under severe threat. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, a disturbing pattern of authoritarianism has emerged, targeting journalists who dare to expose government corruption. The case of Coco Maurice, a blog run by law student Irshad Suffee, alongside the harassment of prominent journalists from Radio Plus and Top FM, highlights the alarming decline of democratic freedoms in the country.
Irshad Suffee, an aspiring journalist studying law at a top British university, is committed to American principles of free speech—values enshrined in the First Amendment and championed by the Founding Fathers. His blog, Coco Maurice, has consistently reported on corruption and abuse of power within the Jugnauth government, making him a prime target for intimidation. “I believe in freedom of speech as a pillar of democracy. Without it, corruption flourishes, and citizens are left powerless,” Suffee states. His commitment to exposing the truth has come at great personal cost, as he faces mounting harassment and threats.
In recent weeks, at least four other journalists—Nawaz Noorbux, Jean-Luc Émile, Al-Khizr Ramdin, and Krish Kaunhye—have been subjected to a cyber-harassment campaign, receiving death threats and smear attacks from pro-government social media accounts. Noorbux, the news director of Radio Plus, reported being falsely accused of having ties to drug traffickers in what he describes as a smear campaign meant to stifle investigative reporting. He, along with his colleagues, filed a police complaint on November 10, fearing for their safety. Yet, despite the gravity of these threats, no significant action has been taken by the authorities.
One particularly chilling development is a “list of 25 people to be arrested,” which included the names of Noorbux and Kaunhye. This list, which circulated on social media after being published by Sunday Times, was seen as an attempt to intimidate the media. While the police denied its authenticity, the damage had already been done—creating an atmosphere of fear and suspicion among journalists. As Noorbux remarked, “The list is part of a smear campaign that is liable to intensify if the police do nothing.”
Mauritius is rapidly becoming an environment where independent journalism is punished rather than protected. The Jugnauth government has turned to tactics eerily reminiscent of authoritarian regimes worldwide—using lawsuits to bankrupt critical media, employing covert surveillance to intimidate dissenters, and invoking anti-terrorism laws to criminalize legitimate reporting. Such measures mirror the autocratic playbook seen in countries like Hungary, Turkey, and Venezuela, where press freedom is routinely crushed under the weight of political control.
The plight of journalists in Mauritius has drawn the attention of international human rights organizations. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the online harassment and threats, calling on the Mauritian government to investigate and hold those responsible accountable. As Sadibou Marong, the head of RSF’s sub-Saharan Africa bureau, said, “Online attacks against journalists have increased in Mauritius. We call on the authorities to immediately open an investigation and put an end to these harassment campaigns.”
The use of these intimidation tactics extends far beyond online abuse. Journalists like Suffee have reported covert surveillance, legal harassment, and even terror laws being leveraged to prosecute investigative reporting. This dangerous trend reflects the broader decline of democratic institutions under Jugnauth’s rule. Radio Plus, for instance, uncovered a high-profile corruption case involving the forced resignation of the head of telecommunications, who refused to award a contract to a foreign company. The station also revealed a police cover-up in the suspicious death of a former ruling party member, initially classified as a suicide.
Such bold journalism has not gone unnoticed. Pro-government social media accounts have circulated images of Noorbux and his colleagues standing alongside a suspected drug dealer, with threatening captions suggesting they will soon be in prison. Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Émile, one of the targeted journalists, fears that his home may be raided by authorities in an attempt to silence him.
Suffee, who continues to expose government corruption through Coco Maurice, sees the attacks on him and other journalists as a symbol of a much larger struggle to preserve free speech in Mauritius. As he points out, without a free press, the democratic process collapses under the weight of unchecked power and corruption. “Freedom of speech is non-negotiable,” Suffee affirms. “It is the foundation of any true democracy.”
The international community must recognize that Mauritius, once a democratic success story, is sliding toward authoritarianism. The systematic targeting of journalists not only violates international law—including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—but also sends a chilling message to those who believe in democratic governance. Without swift global condemnation and intervention, Mauritius risks becoming another cautionary tale of how autocracies dismantle democratic institutions by first silencing the press.
Mauritius’ journey from a vibrant democracy to a state where journalism is punished must serve as a wake-up call. The world must not remain silent as freedom of speech, the lifeblood of any democracy, is extinguished.
Vijaya covilen – Cocomaurice.com
