Three journalists in the Maldives have been arrested while covering political demonstrations calling for the release of Mohamed Nasheed, the country’s former president, who is serving a 13-year jail sentence on terrorism charges.
Mohamed Wisam, a reporter with the private pro-opposition
broadcaster Raajje TV, and Adam Zareer, a Raajje TV cameraman, were detained on Wednesday (25 March) in the capital, Male.
The day before, police arrested a Channel One cameraman, Mohamed Niyaz, also during a street protest in Male. A court ordered him to remain in custody for 10 days.
Wisam and Zareer, who were not charged, were given a five-day custodial remand. All three were said to have obstructed the police and disobeyed orders.
The press freedom watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has called on the authorities to release the three men.
CPJ’s Asian coordinator, Bob Dietz, said: “By holding these journalists without charge for days at a time, authorities in Maldives are clearly trying to suppress news coverage of events through silencing and intimidation”.
According to CPJ research, Raajje TV has been attacked and its journalists assaulted repeatedly in recent years. Nasheed was convicted and sentenced on 13 March.
Sources: Minivan News/CPJ/The Guardian
