Samoa journalist surrenders passport after defamation charges lodged

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Samoa Observer is reporting that the president of the Journalist Association of Samoa, appeared in the Samoa District Court Tuesday morning (Samoa time) to answer to defamation charges.

Lagi Keresoma, also known as Taliilagi Keresoma, was charged under Samoa's criminal defamation law, and the charge stems from an article she published alleging that a former police officer sought the Head of State's intervention to drop charges against him.

Recently, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the arrest and called for a repeal of the law, citing concerns that it stifles independent journalism. 

Keresoma was charged on May 18, following the publication of the article on 1 May. 

Representing Keresoma, counsel Precious Chang, asked the court for a two-week adjournment for the prosecution to serve the charges against her client.

Presiding over this matter was Judge Leota Raymond Schuster. He accepted the request from the defense and told Keresoma to surrender her travel documents to the registrar.

Other than that, she doesn't have to sign at a police station, according to the Observer’s report.