MJA condemns arrest of journalists in airport

The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) has strongly condemned the arrest of journalists that covered Wednesday night’s attempt by opposition parties to take down banners depicting Christian imagery at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

In a press statement, MJA said the arrested reporters were carrying press passes but had their cameras and phones taken from them before being taken to the police detention island of Dhoonidhoo.

The press NGO said it considered the “unacceptable” arrest an attempt by police to “obstruct the work of journalists and intimidate them,” calling on the authorities to provide protection for reporters covering such incidents.

The statement however noted that the journalists were released shortly after being taken into custody after the association intervened and spoke to police.