Amnesty International is calling for an independent and prompt investigation into the death of Jone Vakarisi while in military custody last week.

Amnesty’s Pacific researcher Kate Schuetze says the information provided by authorities on this death in custody raises more questions than answers.

She says initial responses from the military suggested that Vakarisi died from a pre-existing medical condition, yet copies of the police autopsy report circulating online suggest that this was a case of serious assault.

She says any death in custody must be met with an independent, impartial, effective and prompt investigation, with results being made public.

Schuetze says statements of regret by the Commander of Fiji’s military are meaningless unless followed by comprehensive and transparent explanations and where there is sufficient admissible evidence appropriate criminal charges against those responsible.

The Amnesty’s Pacific researcher says this death also raises questions about the culture of impunity within Fiji’s military forces and the role of the military in policing matters, including its ability to meet the needs of detainees in line with international human rights law and standards.

She says the military’s cautioning against people discussing the incident raises serious freedom of expression concerns and that questions and reporting about this case cannot be suppressed for reasons of ‘national security.

Schuetze says under international standards, any death in custody creates an assumption of the state’s responsibility and a violation of the right to life by state authorities.

She says this assumption can only be overcome on the basis of a proper investigation that demonstrably establishes that the state complied with all its human rights obligations.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces yesterday withdrew its earlier account of Vakarisi’s death and admitted the incident was wrongly described as a medical emergency.

In a statement, RFMF Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai said that the post-mortem findings do not support the initial explanation.

He stated that earlier version does not reflect the medical evidence now available and acknowledged the seriousness of those findings.

Kalouniwai said the military would not comment further while the case is active and will cooperate fully with police.