21 Apr 2020

Fiji opposition figure arrested over Facebook post

3:02 pm on 21 April 2020
Pio Tikoduadua

Pio Tikoduadua Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0

The president of a Fiji opposition party has been arrested, apparently in relation to posts he made on Facebook which raised concerns about police brutality.

The National Federation Party said officers showed up at Pio Tikoduadua's home in Tailevu at 12:30 this morning.

The president of Fiji's National Federation Party, Pio Tikoduadua, describes officers showing up to his home in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The president of Fiji's National Federation Party, Pio Tikoduadua, describes officers showing up to his home in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Photo: Screenshot / Pio Tikoduadua Facebook

The party said the officers were upset about a video he posted to his public page, in which he set out allegations of police brutality he said were carried out in his village, Naqia.

Mr Tikoduadua said a young man was thrown off a bridge by officers, and was now in hospital.

The incident had been described by witnesses in the Fiji Times, and the police have said they were investigating.