Amnesty International says allegations of police and military brutality in Fiji consistent with past patterns.
Photo: Facebook / Fiji Police Force
Amnesty International says allegations of police and military brutality in Fiji leading to the death of Sakiasi Ose Radravu are consistent with historic patterns.
The human rights organisation said it was “deeply concerned” by allegations made by Radravu’s family that he had been “sodomised” and “tortured” in an early morning police raid in April.
“In spite of viewing the medical autopsy, there are serious concerns that his injuries contributed or substantially contributed to his death,” Amnesty International’s Pacific Islands researcher Kate Schuetze told RNZ Pacific.
“What we want to see is some swift accountability here … those officers involved should be suspended whilst they’re being investigated, and that investigation must be independent.”
Sakiasi Ose Radravu, right. His family claims he was severely beaten by security forces, resulting in his death.
Photo: Supplied
Radravu’s family allege that both police and military officers were there on the night, and that days after he died, police officers tampered with the autopsy, a claim police have rejected.
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has announced an investigation into 12 officers, but police spokespeople have obfuscated whether they will look into possible military involvement.
“The pattern of allegations that we’re seeing in this case does align with what we’ve seen in the past,” Schuetze said.
“Sometimes a person can be so severely beaten that it could take weeks for them to die from those injuries. We’ve also seen past reports of victims being sodomised, sexually humiliated as a part of their arrest, and that is never acceptable.”
Fiji Police Commissioner Rusiate Trudravu
Photo: Fiji Police Force
Schuetze noted the military culture in Fiji is rife with a sense of invincibility.
“That arises from its history of military coups and the military thinking it’s above the law, and that it can get away with these behavioours because it certainly has in the past.”
Amnesty International has maintained an opposition to the police and military working together for the sake of law enforcement.
Fiji’s security forces established a joint taskforce mid-April to crack down on drugs and organised crime.
Schuetze believes the joint police and military operations have likely increased the incidence of torture and murder.
“The military aren’t usually trained in general policing matters, they’re trained to operate in war … which is very different to policing matters domestically.”
The Fiji Sun reported on Wednesday that it had “reliable sources” telling the news outlet that the drug taskforce was not involved in this specific case involving Radravu.
RNZ Pacific has reached out to Fiji’s military for a response.
‘Within two months, two people have died’
Meanwhile, the Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights wants the joint operations to be shut down until “independent investigations” are held in deaths of Radravu and Jone Vakarisi.
Vakarisi died in military custody on 17 April after allegedly being taken from his home in the middle of the night by military officers.
“Within two months, two people have died while others have alleged torture, the coalition’s chair Shamima Ali said.
“This is absolutely unacceptable. We do not see these as isolated procedural failures, but as symptoms of a structural erosion of the rule of law within these operations. The impunity must end.
Ali said investigations into their deaths must be time-bound.
“It has been over 50 days since Jone Vakarise died in military custody. What is the update on this investigation, and what is causing this delay?”
