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Fijian coup leader Speight remanded to custody

Fiji coup leader George Speight and 12 of his henchmen were remanded in custody after appearing in a Suva court on charges stemming from the May 19 seizure of parliament.

An application by defence lawyers for the gang's release on bail will be reviewed on August 11, magistrate Salesi Temo said.

The magistrate told the court he had considered releasing the defendants on bail because the charges were "not at the high level", but he noted that a military affidavit said weapons were still missing.

He said the accused would be remanded to the island where they have been held since last Saturday.

Temo called on the military to respect the defendants' rights and to treat them with humility and dignity.

Speight had earlier claimed he suffered a severe beating from soldiers following his arrest.

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