Following military's obstruction of its coverage of the First Lady in Addu City, RaajjeTV has called on authorities "to ensure that all media outlets are treated fairly and without prejudice".

A RaajjeTV team in Addu City to cover First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim Didi's official visit to Addu City were blocked from covering an event on Saturday morning, with officers from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) "requesting" the team to leave immediately.

According to RaajjeTV- who noted that their presence was "a concern" to some individuals there- when questioned on why they were not allowed to cover the event, the military officers had responded that a certain permit was required to cover the event.

The team was further told that RaajjeTV will not be allowed to cover the event "due to safety reasons".

Noting that its "strongly" condemned MNDF's actions, RaajjeTV emphasized that "the role of free press is a constitutionally protected fundamental right".

"It is the responsibility of those in power, to ensure that journalists are treated fairly, and are freelu allowed a safe environment, where journalists can practice the rights guaranteed by the Constitution," said RaajjeTV.