LATE last night, the High Court ordered immigration and police officials to produce Fiji Times publisher Evan Hannah in Suva court at 3pm today to justify why he had been detained.
The order by Justice Filimoni Jitoko came after three immigration officers and one policeman arrived at Mr Hannah's home at about 6.55pm with an order to deport the publisher on the grounds that he had breached his work permit.
"The High Court order requires the immigration officers and the police as well as the permanent secretary for defence, national security and immigration and the Commissioner of Police to produce Mr Hannah to the court at 3pm (this afternoon) to justify the detention," said Munro Leys lawyer Jon Apted, who acted for The Fiji Times.
Late last night, attempts were being made to serve the order and the writ of habeas corpus on police and immigration officials. The first flight out to Australia is FJ911 to Sydney at 9am today.
Mr Hannah was taken from his home at about 7.30pm - in front of his 1-year-old son Benjamin and his wife, Dr Katarina Tuinamuana, who is a Fiji citizen.
Dr Tuinamuana said the line of action taken by the government officials was unnecessary.
"To come into our home without any warning and to demand my husband's instant removal is inhumane and completely unjustified," she said.
She said at first the officers told her they just wanted to talk to him but they later revealed they had an order to deport him.
"I took them into the sitting room to wait there. While we were waiting for Evan, I asked them again what they wanted, and they said that they had an order for his deportation on the grounds that he had breached the conditions of his work permit. We asked for further information about what it was that Evan had done to breach his work permit conditions. They said that they were not at liberty to say. They then said that they needed to take Evan out to transport him to Nadi airport so that he could be deported. We asked them to wait for our lawyers to arrive," Dr Tuinamuana said.
She said the officers were "civil, saying that they were 'only doing their job'".
But Dr Tuinamuana said it was clear to her that force would have been used if necessary.
She said the officials were adamant "that the order for deportation was clear, and that the legal matters could be cleared up later".
"I asked them to consider the fact that they just turned up out of the blue and expected me to accept that they were going to remove my husband from our home, and from the country," she said.
"They again said that they were only following orders. It was clear to me that they would use force if we did not comply."
When The Fiji Times spoke to Mr Hannah last night, he confirmed that the vehicle he was in was on its way towards the West.
He asked that a phone call be made to his wife to reassure her that he was fine. "Can you please call Kata and just let her know that I am okay," he said. The immigration removal order was signed by the permanent secretary for defence, national security and immigration, Malakai Tadulala.
Last night, police public relations officer Ema Mua said Mr Hannah was being deported because of "unstable comments he made".
She alleged that Mr Hannah was associated with a "bigger group that tried to cause confusion".
Ms Mua would not elaborate but said: "Some issues have been brought to our attention that could have been generated by Mr Hannah and his acquaintances."
She said more details surrounding reasons behind his deportation would be provided once she was updated. None of the interim regime's top echelon was available for comment last night, including immigration director Viliame Naupoto, interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, acting interim Prime Minister Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and interim Defence Minister Ratu Epeli Ganilau. Permanent Secretary to the interim Prime Minister Parmesh Chand said he first became aware of the matter when he read about it on the internet.
Fiji Television last night reported Ratu Epeli Ganilau as saying that the deportation order was linked to national security involving articles published by The Fiji Times.
The Australian High Commission reserved its comments until it was fully versed with circumstances.
Fiji Times chairman Ross McDonald said he was shocked at the moves to deport Mr Hannah.
He said this was a sad day for Fiji and this action raised questions concerning the government's attitude to the freedom of the media and would send another negative signal to the international community at a time when Fiji needs all the support it can get.
Fiji Media Council chairman Daryl Tarte has called an emergency meeting at 11am today over the treatment of Mr Hannah.
"I am appalled at what has happened. I am calling an emergency meeting of the media council at 11am. After the PM has given a statement today upholding media freedom, to turn around and take an action like this is really disturbing. It doesn't say much about what he thinks of media freedom," Mr Tarte said.
Other media executive expressed similar concerns over media freedom in this country, following similar action taken against Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter on February 25 this year.
Fiji Sun acting publisher Samisoni Kakaivalu said the action against Mr Hannah was "yet another sorry milestone on the interim government's road to disgrace".
"His deportation and that of Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter last February seem to be the precursors to stringent and punitive media controls as recommended in the Anthony report on Fiji's media. This will give the interim government what it has long craved - total control over what the people of Fiji are permitted to know and even discuss publicly. It will give the regime the power to act in secret. It will remove the people's right to know what is being done in their name - apart, of course, from the official line".
Communications Fiji Limited managing director William Parkinson said: "It's a very sad day for media freedom in Fiji. The actions speak for themselves and it's just extraordinary that this should take place in the first place, but on media freedom day, it asks a lot of questions regarding the government's attitude towards protection of freedom of speech."
Fiji Television head of news and current affairs Merana Kitione said the company would comment today.
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