Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has expressed solidarity with VMedia and the five journalists being sued for defamation.
In a tweet sent out on Monday, RSF Asia Pacific noted that they are being sued for defamation ‘after they reported the truth over a Hajj scam’.
#RSF expresses solidarity with the #Maldives #VMedia and 5 journalists from @Mihaarunews who are sued for #defamation after they reported the #truth over a #Hajj scam. At court on Tuesday. Charges must be dropped! #StopIntimidationOfJournalists https://t.co/rHXujlxqev
— RSF_Asia-Pacific (@RSF_AsiaPacific) January 15, 2018
Noting that a hearing in the case was scheduled for Tuesday, RSF said that ‘charges must be dropped’.
Former principal of Arabiyya School, Nasrullah Musthafa has filed a lawsuit for defamation against the five journalists from Mihaaru and the local media group at the Civil Court, for reporting on allegations of him scamming people into unlicensed pilgrimages.
While Musthafa seeks MVR 35 million in compensation, state has raised criminal charges against Musthafa over the scan.
In a statement released on Sunday night, RaajjeTV said that the charges raised against Musthafa was proof that the journalists had reported the truth, and that it believes that the purpose of filing the suit was filed against them to intimidate them and other journalists.
The state has also charged Musthafa over familial neglect and possession of pornographic material. The scandal had led to Mustafa’s resignation as principal of state-owned Arabiyya School. He was arrested in November, and released a day later.
