The Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) expresses its full support for the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS) and its President, Ms Lagi Keresoma, who is facing a criminal libel charge under Section 117A of Samoa’s Crimes Act 2013.
Ms Keresoma is a well-respected senior journalist in Samoa and known across the Pacific for her professionalism, integrity, and commitment to ethical journalism. The charge laid against her is a serious concern for media practitioners and represents a direct threat to press freedom in Samoa and across the Pacific.
PINA stands with JAWS in calling for the immediate repeal of Section 117A of the Crimes Act of 2013, a law that has been criticised for enabling the criminalisation of journalism and silencing investigative reporting. Defamation should be addressed through civil avenues and through laws that can intimidate and suppress journalists.
We commend the solidarity shown by Samoa’s media community, and we urge the Government of Samoa, the Ministry of Police and Prisons, and all relevant institutions to uphold constitutional and democratic principles, especially the protection of freedom of expression and the press.
PINA will continue to stand by our colleagues in Samoa and throughout the Pacific, and we reiterate our unwavering commitment to defending the rights of journalists to report freely, fairly, and without fear of criminal prosecution.
Approved for released by Mr Kalafi Moala, President, Pacific Islands News Association (PINA),