15 Hours Straight: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu Sets World Record for Longest Press Conference

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has set a new world record for holding the longest press conference in history, his office announced on Sunday.

The press conference, held on Saturday to mark World Press Freedom Day, started at 10:00 a.m. and continued for nearly 15 hours clocking in at approximately 14 hours and 54 minutes. President Muizzu took only brief breaks for prayers during the marathon session.

According to the President's office, the duration surpassed the previous record held by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In October 2019, Ukraine's National Records Agency reported that President Zelensky’s 14-hour press conference had broken an earlier record of more than seven hours, set by Belarusian politician Alexander Lukashenko.

Throughout the event, President Muizzu answered a wide range of questions posed by journalists. He also addressed queries submitted by members of the public through the journalists, according to a statement from his office.

“He acknowledged the crucial role of the press in society and emphasized the importance of factual, balanced, and impartial reporting,” the statement added.

The statement also noted that Muizzu, who assumed office in 2023, was celebrating the Maldives’ rise by two places—to 104th out of 180 countries—in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The press conference was attended by around two dozen reporters, who were also served food.

The Muizzu administration has launched several initiatives to strengthen media independence, promote media literacy, and improve journalists’ access to information, considering press freedom an important pillar of democracy.

One such initiative is a proposed media village to support local media organizations, following concerns about high office rental prices. Land has been allocated in Hulhumalé for the project, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with a developer.

In the 2025 budget, the government has allocated MVR 27.98 million to support press freedom.

In South Asia, the Maldives currently ranks second in press freedom, with Nepal holding the top spot.

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