RaajjeTV Chief Operating Officer Hussain Fiyaz Moosa has stated that the channel remains steadfast in its aim to make elected officials accountable and will carry on that mandate in spite of the many attacks on the station.

Speaking in RaajjeTV’s “Fala Suruhee” program, Fiyaz said the channel will not cease work on accountability and transparency, even in the face of mounting odds against the channel. He said the channel will remain committed to this, in spite of constant and consistent attacks on media and journalism. He said RaajjeTV will continue doing this until the Government decides to close down the station.

He said the Government must not be under the impression that media will function merely as a mouthpiece for them. Fiyaz said there was a legal obligation on journalists and media to report on the truth and make the public aware of the work carried out by the State and state institutions.

Fiyaz called on civil employees to report on the transgressions carried out by heads of state institutions. He assured that RaajjeTV will maintain confidentiality of the source and will advocate on the issue until a solution was reached.

Speaking about press freedom in the Maldives, Fiyaz said a free press was impossible unless the state institutions changed from their current status. He said state institutions deliberately had halted and impeded on independent journalism. Fiyaz also said that the heads of those institutions had acted against their mandate for the sake of their jobs. He noted that independent journalism was a vital part in eliminating corruption, embezzlement, graft and other such vices.

Fiyaz further said that both the Government and state institutions were united in their mission to impede journalism in the country. He cited that the prosecutor general had pressed for maximum penalties on the cases against RaajjeTV journalists Mohamed Wisam and Leevaan Ali Nasir as proof of this. Noting that the Government had no other aim to achieve by introducing draconian laws to curb and curtail free speech. Fiyaz added the attacks against RaajjeTV and the channel’s journalists served as a deterrent to other journalists and the general public.

Fiyaz, a veteran of the journalism field, said these were the most dangerous times for journalism.