Fiji is considering abolishing the death penalty for...

Fiji is considering abolishing the death penalty for treason, on the eve of the treason trial of George Speight, who led a coup in 2000.
But the government denied the move aimed to appease Speight's nationalist supporters who saw the coup as a legitimate attempt to protect the rights of indigenous Fijians in the racially-splintered South Pacific nation.
Fiji Attorney General Qoriniasi Bale said the plan to axe the death penalty follows urging by human rights groups.
"This deal is in line with requests from Amnesty International and other human rights groups to change the penalty," Bale told Reuters.
Bale said he will submit an amendment to parliament on February 18 seeking to reduce the maximum penalty for treason to life imprisonment. A similar amendment was instituted in 1979 abolishing the death penalty for murder.
Speight and 13 others involved in the May 19 coup are due to stand trial for treason on February 18 for ousting Fiji's first ethnic-Indian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry.
Speight and the others are being held on an island prison off Suva and will be brought by boat under heavy security to the capital for the trial.
Speight and his armed nationalists held Chaudhry and most of his multi-racial cabinet hostage until the Fijian army agreed to appoint an indigenous Fijian interim government.
Speight said he acted to protect indigenous rights which he said were being eroded by the minority ethnic Indian population. Ethnic Indians comprise 44 percent of the 800,000 population and control Fiji's commerce.
Elections in September 2001 saw indigenous caretaker Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase elected to form government.
Qarase's party won 31 of the 71 seats, with Chaudhry's party securing 27 seats. Under Fiji's constitution Qarase was required to invite Chaudhry to join the government, but he has so far refused to join forces with Chaudhry.