However, it was suspended by President Josefa Iloilo in April 2009 after the Fijian Court of Appeal ruled that the military government that was in power, who took over as a result of a coup d’etat in 2006, illegal.
“Fiji remains a military dictatorship that denies its citizens the right to take part in self-government through free and fair elections, as well as the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and religion.
Since the December 5, 2006 coup d'état, the military and police have arbitrarily arrested and detained human rights defenders, journalists and others perceived as critical of the administration.
Fiji's interim administration continues to fail to uphold the rule of law and has seriously compromised the independence of the judiciary.
The government has not responded to the request to visit of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”[4] In July 2009, the interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced that Fiji would have a new constitution by 2013.
[7] This new constitution would derive from the People's Charter for Change, Peace and Progress and well as from “extensive consultations with political parties, non-governmental organizations and ordinary citizens.
[8][9] The United Nations special rapporteur has urged the government of Fiji to strengthen its Human Rights Commission by ratifying several key international agreements including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the ILO agreement on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989.
He urged the strengthening of the Fiji's Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission and the peaceful dealing with hate speech on social media without infringing on people's freedom of expression.