RTV’s Zareer to be sentenced today

Criminal Court has scheduled the sentencing of RaajjeTV cameraman Adam Zareer for 1pm today. Zareer is charged with obstruction of justice.

The sentencing was initially scheduled for January 16th. It was postponed as the presiding judge had not been present.

In today’s hearing, Zareer’s guilt or innocence will be determined. In the case a guilty verdict is delivered, the court will deliberate on the punishment.

Zareer was arrested on March 25, 2015, while covering an opposition rally, and is accused of forcefully entering an area cordoned off by the police.

He was arrested with RaajjeTV’s senior video journalist, Mohamed Wisam, who also faces the same allegations. Their trials are being held separately, and Wisam’s verdict hearing is scheduled for March 9th.

Both Zareer and Wisam have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Wisam, along with sports-journalist Leevaan Ali Nasir were sentenced to pay a fine of MVR 28,000, each, on January 24. They were found guilty on obstruction charges on December 19, 2016, over an arrest made while covering a bomb scare in the capital Male’ City, in November 2015. They have since filed an appeal at the High Court.

In addition, RaajjeTV’s COO, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, who was arrested with Wisam and Leevaan, is charged with “touching an officer without consent”. At the last heaing of the case, held on February 2, the presiding judge, Adam Arif had announced that a verdict in the case will be issued before the end of February.

The station has dismissed the charges against its staff as “baseless in its entirety” describing the arrests and subsequent charges as “an attack on press freedom and an attempt to impede, harass and psychologically torture RaajjeTV journalists,” with the objective of halting its independent broadcasts.”