The matter was called before the Supreme Court last week.

The lawsuit for defamation concerns the publication by the Samoa Observer of a letter to the editor titled "Stop this madness" by "M.R" on 29 March 2017.

According to the statement of claim, the plaintiffs allege that the letter is defamatory.

As a result, they are asking for general damages of $400,000, aggravated damages of $200,000, punitive damages of $100,000 and costs.

The letter in question was an online comment, in response to a story titled "Church stigmata row deepens."

In April this year the letter was the subject of a search warrant served on the Samoa Observer by the Police.

Toa's family had complained to police claiming the letter defamatory and untrue.

But the editor, Mata'afa Keni Lesa, denied this.

"I think certainly it sets a very dangerous precedent for this country, in terms of media freedom," he said.

"I mean, what happens next? I mean anyone who writes a letter or anything that they don't like, and then they can go to the police, who then turn up with a search warrant, and that to me is very concerning."

Since Easter in 2015, Toaipuapuaga Patrick, has maintained she is carrying the marks of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, also commonly referred to as the stigmata.

Source

• sobserver.ws
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: radionz.co.nz

Human Rights Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy this year called for politicians and others to address hate speech, saying "we need people at the very top to take some leadership on this". Continue reading

The DMV rejected the Children First Foundation's plate back in 2002, saying it was the state's "policy not to promote or display politically sensitive messages" on its license plates.

The group has had a back and forth with the DMV until 2004, when the agency announced a moratorium on the program.

A federal court judge sided with the non-profit in 2011, finding the DMV's rejection of the plate was unconstitutional.

Last month the Second Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, finding license plates are government property and the agency had the right to reject the message. Read more

Malaysia's second highest court ruled in October that the Catholic newspaper, the Herald, could not use the word "Allah"to refer to God, in a landmark decision on an issue that has fanned religious tension in the majority Muslim country.

"Freedom of religion or belief is a right of human beings, not a right of the state," the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Mr Heiner Bielefeldt, said in statement.

"It cannot be the business of the state to shape or reshape religious traditions, nor can the state claim any binding authority in the interpretation of religious sources or in the definition of the tenets of faith," he said.

Meanwhile, Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, said the federal government and the home ministry should grant the Catholic Church the right to use the Arabic word to refer to their God.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of Malaysia should take necessary steps to secure immediately the right to freedom of opinion and expression of Herald - The Catholic Weekly and withdraw unconditionally from further litigation on this issue," the UN expert said in a press release issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

La Rue was backing Bielefeldt's call for the federal government to retract its decision, which was seen to limit the use of the word "Allah" to Muslims only - the country's largest religious community.

In warning of the court case's potential far-reaching impact on religious minorities in Malaysia, Bielefeldt also said that the government should not be dictating or interpreting on religious matters, stressing that freedom of religion belongs to individuals.

"It cannot be the business of the State to shape or reshape religious traditions, nor can the State claim any binding authority in the interpretation of religious sources or in the definition of the tenets of faith," he added.

Last month, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Home Ministry's decision to ban the use of the word in the Herald was justified, saying that the use of the word "Allah" was "not an integral part" of the practice of the Christian faith.

Rita Izsák, UN Independent Expert on minority issues, said the ban had effectively breached the local Christian community's freedom to practice their faith, expressing her concern that it could affect the interfaith relations here.

Sources

Reuters/Straits Times
The Malay Mail
Image: Reuters/The Malay Mail

A report by UCA News said the bloggers were charged with spreading anti-government propaganda under Article 88 of the country's criminal code.

The three are founding members of the Free Journalist Club, an organization not recognized as an official body by the government.

Nguyen Van Hai and Marie Ta Phong Tan received sentences of 12 years and 10 years, respectively, with five additional years of house arrest, while Phan Thanh Hai received a four-year sentence and three years of house arrest, the report said.

State media reports said Phan Thanh Hai had "pleaded guilty and asked for a lenient sentence," while the two other defendants "obstinately" denied the charges against them.

The United States embassy in Hanoi expressed concern over the decision, saying the decision is "inconsistent with Vietnam's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights relating to freedom of expression and due process."

Local blogs reported that an estimated 400 security officials blocked access to the court and confiscated cameras and mobile phones from bystanders who attempted to take photos.

Sources

• UCA News
• AP/The Wall Street Journal
• Image: AFP/Getty Images