(PINA/IFEX) – On 17 July 2000, Fiji Television reported that prison officers manhandled two of its journalists, Imraz Iqbal and Ravinesh Prakash, and tried to force them to leave as they stood on a public road outside Colonial War Memorial Hospital, in Suva (the country’s capital). Fiji Television showed a small group of prison officers, […]
(PINA/IFEX) – On 17 July 2000, Fiji Television reported that prison officers manhandled two of its journalists, Imraz Iqbal and Ravinesh Prakash, and tried to force them to leave as they stood on a public road outside Colonial War Memorial Hospital, in Suva (the country’s capital). Fiji Television showed a small group of prison officers, some armed with batons, grabbing, pushing and shoving Iqbal and trying to force him into a car. Others pushed Prakash and tried to stop him and Iqbal from filming the incident.
The incident took place as the hospital awaited the arrival of prisoners injured during the storming of the country’s maximum security prison, where prisoners had held prison officers hostage. Fiji Television showed film on its evening news programme of Iqbal repeatedly telling the prison officers he and Prakash were on a public road and the prison officers had no right to touch them or stop them from being there. The prison officers only stopped grabbing and shoving the journalist once a police officer arrived and intervened. Commissioner of Prisons Aisea Taoka told a news conference that he is investigating the matter, and said the incident appeared to have been caused by the officers’ inexperience.
