Match your words with action: MJA tells President Nasheed

The Nasheed administration is releasing criminals whilst his party is blocking private televisions from reporting, and then, the President pledges to safeguard the press, the Maldives Journalist Association said urging Nasheed to match his words with action.

“President Nasheed should live up to his words,” President of the Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) Ahmed Zahir told the Asian Tribune.

Zahir said the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services has confirmed to having released 300 prisoners to house arrest adding that these criminals then threaten the media.

Besides, many journalists have been attacked and President Nasheed’s party, the MDP, recently blocked the private television DhiTV from covering a party general meeting.

“All this is happening under Nasheed’s government and under his presidency,” Zahir noted.

Zahir also blamed the lack of media freedom on religious extremism in the country urging Nasheed for prompt action.

Yesterday, President Mohamed Nasheed said he would not tolerate any threats against the press.

In his weekly radio address, he pledged to safeguard the media saying that “the government will take all necessary measures to prevent attacks on media.”

On March 15, a criminal gang broke into DhiTV studios and threatened five senior officials after it reported the news that Ibrahim Nafiz “Chika” has been released to house arrest.

Just hours later, on the same day, a Haveeru employee was stabbed

These two incidents were the latest in a series of attacks on the media and it now prompted the MJA to arrive in Colombo next week to inform the diplomatic community of the country’s worsening media freedom.

- Asian Tribune -