Mihaaru files police case over harassment of journalists

Local media, Mihaaru, has filed a police case over repeated instances of harassment of the media and its journalists.

In a statement released regarding the remarks made by some political figures on various social media platforms targeted towards Mihaaru, and some if its journalists – the media accused various parties of trying to publicly defame individual journalists of Mihaaru and the media itself through social media platforms.

Emphasizing that such acts subsequently has invoked harassment of the media and its journalists – Mihaaru said that the false comments made by these parties are subjecting its journalists to mental anguish and physical threats on a daily basis.

Mihaaru said the circumstances, if ignored, posed a huge threat to the media and its journalists alongside the whole Maldivian media scene. Therewith, the media said they have filed a case with Maldives Police Service requesting a criminal investigation into such cases. They also noted that the media’s legal team was working to identify where civil suits can be pursued in such cases.

In their statement – Mihaaru said that it was their responsibility to uphold its foundations, independence and ensure the safety of its staff. Hence, the media said they would not tolerate any action which obstruct these responsibilities.

The statement comes after Mihaaru’s journalist Fazeena Ahmed revealed that a complaint has been filed with the police against Abbas Adil Riza, who served in several political posts in former administrations, for making false claims on social media.

Fazeena, in a tweet on Sunday night, said that a complaint was filed with the police against Abbas Adil Riza for falsely claiming she held a criminal record.

She also said that complaints have been filed against some social media activists for online harassment.