Zareer's verdict hearing set for Feb. 27

The sentencing hearing of RaajjeTV senior videographer, Adam Zareer is scheduled for next week.

Charged with obstruction of law enforcement officers, Zareer’s sentencing is scheduled for 1 pm, on Monday. A verdict hearing was initially set for January 16, but was postponed as the presiding was on sick leave that day.

Zareer was arrested on March 25, 2015, while covering an opposition rally, and is accused of forcefully entering an area cordoned off by the police.

He was arrested with RaajjeTV’s senior video journalist, Mohamed Wisam, who has also been charged with obstruction. Their trials are being held separately, and Wisam’s verdict hearing is scheduled for March 9.

Both Zareer and Wisam have plead not guilty to the charges.

Wisam, along with sport journalist Leevaan Ali Nasir were sentenced to pay a fine of MVR 28,000, each, on January 24. They were found guilty on obstruction charges on December 19, 2016, over an arrest made while covering a bomb scare in the capital Male’ City, in November 2015. They have since filed an appeal at the High Court.

In addition, RaajjeTV’s COO, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, who was arrested with Wisam and Leevaan, is charged with “touching an officer without consent”. At the last heaing of the case, held on February 2, the presiding judge, Adam Arif had announced that a verdict in the case will be issued before the end of February.

The station has dismissed the charges against its staff as “baseless in its entirety,” describing the arrests and subsequent charges as “an attack on press freedom and an attempt to impede, harass and psychologically torture RaajjeTV journalists,” with the objective of halting its independent broadcasts.”