TV presenter Nabil Al-Haj of Libya Ahrar TV has resigned, accusing the new administration of the Qatar-based station of bias and twisting the news.
He resigned yesterday shortly after the station had covered yesterday’s anti-House of Representatives protests in Misrata. In a statement on his Facebook page, he condemned the lack of integrity at the channel which, he said, had managed to cover that demonstration but not, “for technical reasons”, pro-House of Representative demonstrations in Tripoli and Benghazi.
Along with him, Tripoli-based reporter Sirine Amari and news presenter Mohamed Zeidan also resigned because of the station’s reported lack of impartiality.
Thanking his viewers for their support over the years, Haj said he was returning to his native Tobruk, currently the seat of the new parliament. He added that he had started to announce his resignation live on TV, but was cut off.
Another staffer, presenter Ghalia Zakuk broadcaster resigned today, bringing the number of those who have now left the station in recent weeks to 16. They include: Khadija Al-Amami, head of the Benghazi bureau, who resigned last month; news presenter Fatin Alami who quit last week; and Mohamed Al-Shabah who resigned earlier this week in protest that the station had not aired any of the decisions of by the new House of Representatives.
Founded in March 201 by a number of Libyan businessmen, its CEO was until recently Mahmoud Shammam. It is now said to be controlled by Ali Salabi, one of the most prominent members of the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood
Noora Ibrahim
