By 
Date: 28-04-2026 | Lola Louise-Alexandrine | Asia Team Researcher, Global Human Rights Defence.
In April 2026, Fiji, the death of Jone Vakarisi in military custody is being investigated after medical reports showed he died from serious physical injuries.
On April 17, 2026, Jone Vakarisi, a 37-year-old man died while in the custody of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF). According to Amnesty International, no criminal charges had been confirmed and the reasons for his detention remained unclear. As highlighted in a local media, the RMFM initially released a statement with “incomplete” initial descriptions of the incident. The RFMF’s initial “medical emergency” narrative was only retracted after the post-mortem findings were made public. The findings of the autopsy suggested that Jone Vakarisi was the target of a serious assault.
The circumstances surrounding Vakarisi’s death suggest a violation of his physical integrity. Indeed, media reports say the death certificate of the deceased “lists asphyxia, aspiration of gastric contents, severe traumatic head injuries and blunt force trauma to both the head and chest” as the causes of his death. Human rights lawyer Aman Ravindra-Singh noted that these injuries are consistent with a victim being “brutally beaten repeatedly,” equating the treatment to torture.
Since any death in custody creates a presumption of State responsibility, The Fiji Law Society issued a statement, calling for an independent and impartial investigation, asserting that all state institutions must operate within legal boundaries.
