Amnesty International Calls On Fiji To Stop Harassment Of Journalists

The Fiji Media Industry Development Authority has ordered the investigation of two journalism academics from Fuji’s University of the South Pacific.

Michael Hayworth, Crisis Response Campaign Coordinator for Amnesty International Australia said in a media release “This is the latest act of intimidation against journalists by the authorities,”

“Attacks against the media are one of the most serious violations of the right to freedom of expression, particularly in the lead up to elections.”

Mr Hayworth also stated “Instead of persecuting journalists the Fijian government should instead focus its efforts on investigating cases of torture, which the military now appears to have admitted to openly,”

It has become a pattern that before elections in Fiji, the government attempts to silence the media. Amnesty International has said that the right to freedom of expression remains severely restricted in Fiji by laws and regulations which impose heavy penalties, including custodial sentences, for those exercising their right to freedom of expression.