Police don

Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) has said that the President cannot involve the Police in deciding the limits of freedom of expression in the country, when the rules are explicitly defined in the constitution.

MJA said that article 27 of the constitution stipulates that the right to freedom of expression can be exercised as long as it does not conflict with the basic rules of Islam.

“Article 16 of the constitution states that limits on any rights guaranteed by the constitution can only be imposed within the rules of democracy and the constitution. This is a right guaranteed by the judicial system as well, and as a result this Association is not of the opinion that the Police might have any authority to impose such limits,” they said in a document released today.

They also said that the rules established by the two media regulating bodies should also be within the framework of the constitution. The constitution does not allow any institution to ‘draw lines’ to limit this freedom in any other manner.

“We advise the President and all institutions to keep their practices within the limits of the law,” says the document.

They also condemned the damage done to reporters and their equipment by MDP and opposition groups, in the protests held the past few nights.