With the press now assured by His Majesty King Abdullah that the detentions of journalists for charges related to their profession would cease, the “ball is now in the media court” to adhere to professional ethics and protect society and individuals from defamation, sector leaders said.

On Sunday, King Abdullah met with chief editors of major local dailies and announced there will be no detention of any journalist for carrying out his/her duty.

“Detention of journalists is prohibited. I do not see a reason for detaining a journalist because he/she wrote something” or for expressing a view, he said.

At the same time, the King continued, citizens' rights are protected and they “have the right to resort to court in case they feel their rights were violated by any media outlet”.