The media in the UAE is so afraid of being branded as ‘pro-corruption’ that they are afraid to report on corruption, a senior media group said Monday, as its members called for an independent investigation of the countrys largest private media group. The Dubai Media Network (DMN) says it has filed a formal complaint against the government-run news agency Al Jazeera, saying it has “incorrectly and unfairly” described the company as “pro-establishment.” Al Jazeera did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”DMN has been accused of failing to adequately investigate allegations that are not substantiated and of violating the laws of defamation,” the group said in a statement. “DMN is accused of being pro-establishment, while Al Jazeera is accused by the public of being ‘pro corruption.'”DMN’s board has called on the government to “investigate the veracity of DMN’s report” and have “immediate recourse” to remove Al Jazeera’s

from its website.

The DMN was founded by Abu Dhabi’s Prince Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum in 2014.

The company has more than 3,000 employees, most of them from outside the UAE.

The Dubai-based news outlet, which has been criticized by human rights groups for the treatment of detained journalists, was accused of human rights violations in 2017 for allegedly failing to investigate a string of cases of alleged torture, including the death of an alleged “suspect” at the hands of security forces.

The group has also come under criticism from human rights advocates for allegedly using a “fake” Arabic language to transmit news.

The Emirati government has previously said it is committed to holding the media accountable for their reporting.

But in the wake of the 2016 death of prominent journalist Abdulrahman Al-Muhaysini, the government began a crackdown on the media.

It banned Al Jazeera and other media outlets that had received foreign funding, and it closed dozens of media outlets it said were providing support to terror groups.