By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Fiji Times, Fiji’s oldest newspaper, has been fined US $54,000 by the High Court today over the publication of a letter to the editor in October criticizing the court’s validation of the 2006 military coup.  Fiji Times has to pay the fine within 27 days.  It was ordered that the newspaper’s chairman, Ross McDonald, enter a bond of $50,000 on behalf of the paper which is to be refunded after the fine is paid in full.  The editor-in-chief, Netani Rika, has been sentenced to three months imprisonment and has been suspended for two years.  Publisher Rex Gardener has been discharged on the condition he enters into a bond without surety and he is on good behavior for a period of 12 months.

The Fiji Times had admitted guilt and published admissions of contempt of court when they published a letter to the editor from a person residing in Queensland and offered to pay costs.  The Attorney-General, however, was not satisfied with the apologies and urged for the imposition of hefty penalties.  Judge Thomas Hickie said while judges were neither immune to criticism nor infallible, the freedom of expression had been grossly abused in this case.  Solicitor General Christopher Pryde said he was pleased with the ruling because it sends a strong message to media organizations to report responsibly.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) says it is “outraged” at the fine and suspended prison sentence.  IFJ Asia-Pacific director, Jacqueline Park, said in a statement, “The IFJ is alarmed that the publication of a letter to the editor has resulted in such a heavy penalty against the newspaper and its editor.”  Ms. Park continued, “The court’s decision has serious implications for Fiji’s media and the right to free expression, in an environment where freedom of the press has been sorely tested over the past year.”  Her statement said that in a restrictive environment, the IFJ was concerned about the military government’s proposed new media law, and the failure to engage in consultation for input on the proposal.  The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries.

A similar lawsuit against the Daily Post will be heard in April.  The Daily Post published the same letter.

For more information, please see:
Pacific Islands Report – Fiji Newspaper Fined, Editors Sentenced To Jail – 23 January 2009

Fiji Times Online – World body ‘outraged’ at fine – 23 January 2009

Islands Business – Fiji Times fined $100K over article – 23 January 2009