Fiji rebel leader charged

Speight supporters were arrested last Thursday

The Fijian rebel leader George Speight has been charged with crimes relating to a wave of civil unrest across the country.

He has been accused of a relatively minor crime, unlawful assembly, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.

The charges do not include treason but a police spokesman said investigations into threats allegedly made by Mr Speight against President Josefa Iloila were continuing.

Speight is still being held in prison

Threatening the president is a treasonable offence which carries a maximum penalty of death.

The charges laid against him, and his close advisers, come a day after 150 of his supporters appeared in court, also accused of unlawful assembly.

Mr Speight is not expected to appear in court immediately.

The leader of the armed gang which deposed the government of Mahendra Chaudhry in May, is still being held on Nukulau Island off the capital, Suva.

'Brutality'

Mr Speight held Mr Chaudhry - Fiji's first ethnic Indian Prime Minister - and most of his cabinet hostage for 56 days.

He claimed that ethnic Indians, who make up 44% of Fiji's 814,000 population, had too much power over indigenous Fijians.

He and more than 350 of his followers were arrested in a raid on their camp last week.

Mr Speight's lawyer Kitione Vuetaki said he had been beaten up during his time in custody and has urged the authorities to bring him before magistrates as soon as possible.

The army has so far made no comment on the allegations of brutality.

Most of Mr Speight's supporters who appeared in court on Monday pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.

They have been given bail and ordered to reappear in a month's time.