A human rights activist in Fiji is calling for the joint police-military taskforce on drugs to be disbanded, but the Fijian government says it does not support the call.

It comes as the military revealed more than 60 witnesses have been spoken to in an investigation into the death of Jone Vakarisi, The Fiji Times reported.

Police have classified Vakarisi’s death as murder after the Republic of Fiji Military Forces had initially claimed that the notorious figure known to law enforcement had died of pre-existing conditions.

• READ MORE: Other Fiji police brutality reports

Exactly two months have passed since his death and so far no one has been charged, but the Policing Ministry released a statement over the weekend, saying that the investigation into Vakarisi’s alleged murder was nearing completion.

It is also over a week since another man from a suburb about 15 minutes from the capital Suva, Sakiasi Ose Radravu, passed away following what his family says was a raid.

The raid resulted in an alleged severe beating and torture by police and military officers, which the family alleges led to Radravu’s death weeks later, though police claim a post-mortem links the death to a pre-existing condition.

This raid took place around the same time as Vakarisi’s alleged murder in a military cell. The official Fiji police post-mortem report released on June 6 stated that Radravu’s death was linked to a pre-existing medical condition.

Investigation nearly complete
“The independent investigation into the death of Mr Jone Vakarisi is nearing completion, while investigations into the death of Mr Sakiasi Radravu remain ongoing. These investigations must be allowed to proceed thoroughly, independently, and without prejudice,” Fiji’s Ministry of Policing and Communications said in a statement on Saturday, June 13.

The ministry said the joint police-military operations were making a real difference in disrupting illicit drug networks.

“Government does not support calls to terminate the Joint Police-Military Operations. However, operational success can never excuse human rights violations. Joint operations must continue lawfully, professionally, and with full accountability.”

Four police officers have been placed on leave while eight others are being investigated.

Police also confirmed over the weekend the Radravu family’s allegation that a military officer had instigated the raid.

Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) chief executive Shamima Ali claims that the security forces may be responsible — this year alone — for two deaths and countless more injuries.

“This [is] a historic pattern that is being repeated, whether it’s the police [or] the military,” she told RNZ Pacific.

“We need to know who are the people doing the investigations — we actually call for an independent investigation,” Ali said.

‘Not hard to find out’
“Two people have died, and where and what seems to be quite clear, so it’s not that hard to find out who [the perpetrators] are.”

Last week, Amnesty International also called for the suspension of implicated officers and the dismantling of the joint taskforce.

Ali said as a result of increased military involvement, and a diminishing degree of police transparency, it has become harder to advocate and protect the most vulnerable.

“Even with us at the Crisis Centre, we are having so many difficulties in bringing to light cases of rape, wife assault … [due to] the lack of knowledge, the lack of transparency, and so on.

“If Fiji had a robust, well-trained police force — that is what they are there for — we would not need the military to interfere.”

But unlike in the past, Ali noted the role of social media, where both the Vakarisi and Radravu cases emerged in the public consciousness.

“People are talking a lot more, and people are becoming a lot more aware of when a young, particularly Fijian, is being taken into custody.”

Warning: This story contains detailed accounts of alleged police and military brutality, including torture and sexual assault.

The Fiji Police Force has acknowledged that 12 officers were present during a raid involving Kinoya resident Sakiasi Ose Radravu, who his family claims was severely beaten, resulting in his death.

His family alleges that on the night of April 23, the 32-year-old was “tortured” in his home by both police and military officers — and beaten within an inch of his life.

He died five days ago, on June 4, with police stating that the autopsy report shows the cause of his demise was “a pre-existing medical condition”.

• READ MORE: 12 officers under investigation for Radravu’s death, linked to pre-existing medical condition
• Autopsy reveals cause of death
• Fiji police confirm murder probe launched into death of man in military custody
• Other Fiji police reports

However, Radravu’s aunt Elizabeth Kabuyawa told RNZ Pacific that they are seeking a second autopsy on the body, due to concerns about a possible cover-up.

RNZ Pacific has seen a copy of the death certificate, which lists the main cause of death as sepsis and complications from pneumonia.

“I think they’re [police] trying to masquerade it. They’re not even considering that there was an underlying issue that he’d had from these beatings,” Kabuyawa claimed.

“My nephew was sodomised, his head was stomped on, he was beaten almost to his death.”

Second recent death
This is the second recent death in Suva linked incidents where police and military are alleged to have played a part. Jone Vakarisi — described by local media as a drug lord involved in criminal networks — died in military custody on April 14.

It comes at a time when military officers are patrolling the streets bearing automatic weapons — ostensibly as part of a joint operation with police to crack down on drugs.

Police are also promoting a dob-in website where citizens can be their community’s “eyes and ears” and inform on others.

Kabuyawa said the family is of one mind in seeking answers from the authorities.

“Fiji is not a big place … we just want that faith and that confidence back into our [police] service. We’re hoping that this could be the last time that this type of brutality happens.”

The night
Radravu’s cousin Buna recalled being woken up at 3am on April 23 by a loud banging outside.

When her uncle opened the door, they found a military officer in uniform demanding to see Radravu, who Kabuyawa said they had accused of stealing a laptop.

But they had gone to the wrong house — Radravu and his girlfriend were a few doors down.

“Straight after, he had informed our uncle that there were some soldiers were already present opposite from where we are staying,” Buna said.

“So straight after they had left, my uncle and our cousin, they also went, they wanted to see what would actually happen. So when they went, they saw that they had already surrounded the place.”

They arrived to see the house surrounded by people banging on windows and walking in and out.

“We could hear that our cousin was actually screaming and yelling for his life, but that didn’t actually change any response from them.”

Buna said that Radravu’s girlfriend, who was in the room as he was being beaten, made out that some were in uniform, and some were not.

“[She] came crying home and came to inform the family of what had happened. After they had beaten him up, they had taken him up to the [police] station at Valelevu [a suburb 20 minutes out from the capital Suva].”

The family alleges that Radravu’s visit to the station had never been logged or recorded, and that police had never issued a warrant for a raid on his house.

While police have rejected the family’s version of events, they have now acknowledged that a raid did take place, and that 12 police officers were present.

A June 7 police statement described the conduct as “failure to adhere to processes and procedures”.

“The Fiji Police Force acknowledges that the lack of compliance to due processes continues to exacerbate complaints against police and service,” it said.

The aftermath
More than a month passed between that night and Radravu’s death. His family said he had suffered all of that time, often unable to sit or lie down without intense pain.

“My sister-in-law asked him, ‘Do you want to [go to the hospital], let’s go, let’s go,’ and he refused,” Kabuyawa said.

She described a small number of eventual hospital visits where X-rays came up with nothing, and Radravu was given Panadol [paracetamol].

“For the past couple of weeks, he had check ups, but also with the issues due to space [at the hospital] he checked himself out.”

On June 4, Radravu walked into Wanibokasi Hospital and collapsed. The hospital is about a 35 minute drive from the CBD in Suva.

Within an hour of his death, two police officers arrived at his mother’s house, trying to coax her into agreeing not to carry out a post-mortem on the body, Kabuyawa alleged.

“She refused. A couple days later … the police then started coming to the house … they came in three appearances in one day.”

Kabuyawa has accused the police of using this as an intimidation tactic.

“Out of the blue, a doctor called and stated there will be a post-mortem. When they appeared [at the hospital], there were five carloads of officers that were already there waiting.

“My family was not allowed entry into the room to be near his body.”

Aside from confirming Radravu’s identity, family members were ushered to a waiting area, watching police officers walk in and out of the examination room.

“Then the doctor, with such an arrogant tone, just advised the family without passing the paperwork that [Radravu] had passed away because he had tuberculosis and AIDS,” she claimed.

“My sister-in-law, who is a nurse, and had taken Sakiasi to the doctors a week and a bit ago, she advised him right then that ‘we did his blood work and that all came back clear’. Then the doctor ended up changing his findings, and said he died from pneumonia.”

From the death certificate seen by RNZ Pacific, it is not clear to the family whether complications from the beatings — which they claim went entirely untreated — were considered at all.

Out of frustration, Kabuyawa emailed Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu on Friday, June 5, copying reporters in the communication.

Tudravu replied: “If you want to raise your grievances then address your email to me — I will not action if I’m copied.”

“Please have some respect to the Office of the Police Commissioner.”

‘No official report filed’, police say
Days after Radravu’s death, police said they were conducting an investigation.

“It has been confirmed from the Valelevu Police Station records that Mr Radravu was taken in for questioning on the night of the 23rd of April 2026 in relation to a case of alleged burglary,” a statement noted.

“It has also been confirmed from his family that no official report of an alleged assault was lodged following his arrest.”

Kabuyawa said this was because Radravu feared retribution even to the point where he feared telling a doctor.

The police statement also noted the cause of death had been linked to “a pre-existing medical condition,” which the family has completely rejected.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Sun reported on Tuesday morning that “reliable sources” had told them there was no direct involvement from the joint taskforce operation itself — rather that the 12 police officers were acting alone.

Police Minister Ioane Naivalurua has called for a fair investigation.

“These are abnormal times here in Fiji, and we are addressing the issue head on, no excuses,” he was quoted as saying by local media.

Commissioner Tudravu told RNZ Pacific that they would not answer any questions on the matter until an “internal investigation” had been completed. He offered no timeframe.

The Fiji Military has not responded to RNZ Pacific’s requests for comment.