Chief Executive Officer of Villa Television (VTV) Ibrahim Khaleel said that the attack on VTV which left the station "in pieces" during the violence and unrest that erupted in Male following the reconvening of the parliament, is an act of terrorism.
He said that several of the TV stations employees were inside when members of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) gathered and started hurling bricks at the station. He said that two employees were injured.
“There were Maldivians inside the station. Families. They did not think what might happen to the people inside when they gathered around and started throwing bricks at the station. Which is why I believe that this is an act of terrorism,” he said.
He said that around six army personnel were monitoring the area when the MDP members gathered and that before they could do anything the members started attacking.
Khaleel told that the gathered mob had also tried to set the station on fire by setting objects alight and throwing it into the station. He said that the army personnel were able to get rid of these objects before serious damage could be done.
Due to the attack all the glass windows of VTV were smashed with dents to the tiles on the walls.
Khaleel criticized that while MDP claiming to be the leading advocates for the rights of media and democracy what the country witnessed from them were barbarism, and that the news of the attack on the station will be shared with international media.
“No media in the world will accept this attack on us, and no matter how many such attacks are inflicted on us, it wouldn’t hinder our work,” he told.
Haveeru Online’s cameraman was also attacked and the same protesters smashed his video camera near VTV while he was filming the attack.
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