Arrest of dual British Fijian national sparks free speech concerns

The arrest and detention of a dual Fijian and British national by Fiji's anti-corruption agency over the weekend has sparked concerns about freedom of expression from the country's politicians, advocates and journalists.

Charlie Charters, a former senior manager at the Fiji Rugby Union and a journalist, is in custody at the FICAC headquarters in Suva.

He is expected to appear in court on Monday "on suspicion of aiding and abetting a FICAC whistleblower", local media reported over the weekend.

According to local media, Charters, 57, has written extensively about the inner workings of FICAC and the Fiji Sports Council, citing publicly available documents and his own sources.

He was scheduled to depart from Nadi International Airport for Sydney on Saturday. However, he was stopped by FICAC officials and offered a "deal" to reveal his sources and carry on with his planned travel.

"But the terms of that deal were not acceptable to me or any right-thinking citizen. As a result I was arrested," Charters said in a statement to Fijian media.

Fijian Media Association said it is "alarmed" at the anti-corruption agency's actions.

"The detainment and arrest [of Charters] look like a re-enactment of scenes from a dark past that we fought hard to be free from," it said in a statement.

The country's Judicial Services Commission (JSC), which appoints the head of FICAC, held an emergency meeting on Sunday.

The JSC confirmed that it will make "certain recommendations" to Fijian President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, including the arrest of Charters by end of business on Monday.

Watch Vanessa Charters speak to the media about her husband's situation.