The Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has refused to air a campaign ad from opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Imthiyaz Fahmy allegedly on the grounds that it depicted police brutality.
The MDP issued a press statement today strongly condemning the move, contending that state broadcaster’s refusal was a deliberate obstruction of both Imthiyaz’s campaign and the right to free expression as well as an attempt to hide police brutality and silence voices against brutality.
The party also expressed surprise with the MBC’s decision as one of the photos featured in the campaign ad showed police pepper spraying a cameraman, noting that the Maldives has dropped in international press freedom indexes.
The guilty are always afraid of seeing the evidence.