Media Freedom Must be Protected: PM Ardern

Media freedom must be protected, says New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern following the detention of three Newsroom journalists in Fiji.

Newsroom co-editor Mark Jennings, investigations editor Melanie Reid and cameraman Hayden Aull were placed in a holding room at the Totogo police station in Suva, Fiji on Wednesday night after the controversial Chinese resort developer, Freesoul Real Estate accused of environmental desecration of an island, alleged them of criminal trespass. The journalists were released Thursday morning after intervention of a senior police officer with the Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

Bainimarama apologized for the detention and shared the public outrage about Freesoul Real Estate developer's conduct. The police said no action would be taken against the journalists. The Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho said the journalists were provided meals, taken to a restaurant to get their dinner and in the morning were placed in the care of officers in the Tourist Police department.

The NZ prime minister said she had been advised of the arrests on Thursday morning and added that media freedom was a paramount consideration for her government. "New Zealand defends the freedom of the press, no matter where in the world that freedom is being exercised or attempted to be exercised." Winston Peters, the Foreign Affairs Minister said the journalists had the right to carry out their investigations and welcomed news of an official investigation into the matter. In regards to Fiji prime minister's statements, Peters said its pretty credible. "He's been most effusive about his apology, about the need for environmental security and protection of the environment in their constitution, and he seems to be enormously supportive of the rights of these three journalists to find out what was going on."

However, Peters questioned whether the journalists had been detained by the police as reported.