Hearings in state's appeal of journalist Wisam’s acquittal to begin this month
Wisam was charged with obstruction after being arrested while covering an opposition rally in March 2015
Mohamed Wisam
Hearings in RaajjeTV journalist Mohamed Wisam’s appeal case is to begin this month.
Charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer in April 2016- after being arrested while covering an opposition rally in March 2015- Wisam was acquitted in March 2017.
The Prosecutor General’s Office had appealed the verdict on 5th April 2017.
Acquitting him, the Criminal Court ruled that the chain of custody of video evidence submitted by prosecutors “cannot be verified” and that it “contradicted the Prosecution's claims”. Additionally, presiding Judge, Ahmed Shakeel ruled that the presence of journalists at the scene “cannot be deemed as obstructing police duties”.
High Court is to begin the appeal hearings on November 27.
RaajjeTV’s cameraman Adam Zareer, who was arrested along with Wisam at the same rally, was found guilty of obstruction in February 2017 and fined MVR 3,000.
Criminal Court found Wisam guilty of a separate obstruction charge in December 2016, along with journalist Leevaan Ali Nasir, over an arrest made while covering a bomb scare in the capital Male' City in November 2015. They were both fined MVR 28,800 each.
