The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Maldives
Journalists’ Association (MJA) in calling for restraint by Maldives police
in questioning journalists about sources and the authenticity of news reports.
The MJA has
issued a statement protesting a recent decision by local police to summon the
news editor of the DhiFM channel, Mohamed Jinah Ali, for inquiries regarding
the authenticity of a news report broadcast on December 29, 2010. The report concerned an alleged leak of the
examination paper administered by an international school board.
“The Maldives
is one of the few countries that provides protection in its basic law to the
right of journalists to maintain confidentiality of sources,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park.
“This is a
healthy first step towards a truly free environment for journalism, but we
would like to caution against any action that would violate its basic promise.”
The MJA has
argued that the Maldives has appropriate bodies which have been established by
law, such as the Maldives Media Council (MMC), to attend to the task of
establishing the authenticity or otherwise of media news reports.
“We call
upon the government and police in the Maldives to use the available framework
of institutions to address the issues raised by journalistic work, not police
investigations,” Park said.
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific
on +612 9333 0919
The
IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries
Find
the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific
Find
the IFJ on Facebook here