Mohamed Shamin and Ali Mushaffau, who were arrested during a protest calling for the release of two journalists from Adhadhu, were released from custody today.
Although Shamin and Mushaffau were initially detained and released on May 14 during the protest in defense of journalists, they were re-arrested on May 17.
When presented before the Criminal Court for a remand hearing, the court granted a 15-day detention period as requested by the police. Their lawyer, Ahmed Mauroof, stated that the two individuals were not given a fair opportunity to defend themselves.
The authorities have recently been deploying an unusually high number of police officers to protests, using disproportionate force and intimidation tactics against peaceful demonstrators.
With the release of Shamin and Mushaffau, all individuals arrested during the protests in defense of journalists have now been freed. Furthermore, the two journalists themselves have also been released after completing their sentences.
