There are calls for Fiji's chief prosecutor to step down from the appeal of an Australian tourist and a local man jailed on gay sex charges, after an email in which he condemned homosexuality was made public. It has been revealed that Director of Public Prosecutions Josaia Naigulevu wrote to religious groups in Fiji, calling on churchgoers to take a public stand against gay sex. "The challenge is to take a stand for righteousness and boldly declare and uphold God's precepts, values and principles against homosexuality," he said in the email. Lawyers for the charged men, who are on bail while their two-year prison sentence is appealed, obtained the email and made it public, saying it was an attempt for Naigulevu to influence the appeal, and therefore made him biased. Naigulevu has refused to step aside however, and is backed by Fiji's Attorney-General who has publicly endorsed the views in the email. It has been reported that violent attacks on the gay community in Fiji have increased following media coverage of the arrests.