A newspaper stand selling the Fiji Times in Fiji Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Three senior journalists and an opinion writer at the Fiji Times have been found not guilty of charges of sedition by a panel of three assessors.
The verdict was handed down in the High Court at Suva just minutes ago.
While the assessors' verdict was unanimous, Justice Thushara Rajasinghe could still find them guilty in a final judgement that will be delivered on Tuesday.
The newspaper, its publisher Hank Arts, Editor-in-Chief Fred Wesley and the editor of the i-Taukei newspaper Nai Lalakai, Anare Ravula, were charged along with an opinion writer, Josaia Waqabaca.
The charges were filed following a government complaint that Mr Waqabaca's opinion column could incite feelings of ill-will and hositility towards the country's minority Muslim population.
The defence and human rights groups said the charges were a ploy by the government to intimidate the Fiji Times, which is regarded as one of the last bastions of independent media in the country.