Civic space is rated as ‘narrowed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Among concerns previously documented are threats to ban Facebook in the country and attempts to vilify civil society as well as LGBTQI+ groups. The authorities have also restricted access to information, including requests from the media. Peaceful protests have also been dispersed and protest leaders charged.
In September 2025, The 54th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) was held in the Solomon Islands National Stadium in Honiara. The country blocked leaders from nearly two dozen countries, including China and the US, from attending PIF. This is believed to be due to China's pressure to exclude Taiwan from the meeting.
In May 2026, the Solomon Islands’ human rights record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The country has failed to implement recommendations from previous reviews to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), establish a national human rights institution or pass legislation on freedom of information.
Peaceful Assembly
Politician acquitted of unlawful assembly charges
In November 2025, Celsius Talifilu, the political adviser to the late former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani, was acquitted of two counts of unlawful assembly after the Honiara Magistrate Court ruled that he had no case to answer.
Principal Magistrate Tearo Beneteti delivered the ruling following a no-case-to-answer submission made by Talifilu’s lawyer. The application was made after the prosecution closed its case, having called three witnesses to support the allegations. The defence argued that the evidence presented was insufficient in law to require Talifilu to enter a defence.
In her ruling, Magistrate Beneteti found that the prosecution had failed to establish any evidence, even circumstantial evidence, linking Talifilu to the alleged 2021 unlawful assemblies.
The decision came a week after the prosecution formally withdrew charges against Daniel Suidani under Section 190(2)(b)(i) of the Criminal Procedure Code, following his passing in October 2025. Talifilu had remained the sole accused.
As previously documented, Suidani and Talifilu were alleged to have masterminded a number of unlawful assemblies and protests in Auki, the Malaita provincial capital, in 2021. The protests were carried out by the Malaita for Democracy (M4D) movement against the decision by the former government to sever diplomatic ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing. The duo face two counts of unlawful assembly, contrary to section 74 and section 21 of the Solomon Islands Penal Code. They believed the charges brought against them were politically motivated.