PINA support JAWS & call to repeal law criminalising journalism in Samoa

Apia, Samoa – 22 May 2025 – The Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) has joined the media freedom voices expressing 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.

A PINA statement said 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 NOT 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.

The criminal libel law was removed by the Samoan government in 2013, but was brought back in 2017, ostensibly to deal with issues arising on social media.