Jaseekaran’s FR petition hearing postponed

By S.S.Selvanayagam - The Supreme Court yesterday (3) postponed to October 30 the hearing of the fundamental rights violation petitions filed by S. Jaseekaran who is one of the co-directors of the ‘Outreach’ website and his fiancée V.Valarmathy.

The Bench comprised Chief Justice Asoka de Silva, Justices N. G. Amaratunga and Chandra Ekanayake.

Leave to proceed has already been granted to Jaseekaran for the alleged infringement of his fundamental right to freedom from torture, right to equality and equal protection of the law, freedom from arbitrary detention, freedom of speech and expression including publication and freedom to engage in any lawful occupation, trade, business, enterprise etc.

Valarmathy was granted leave for the alleged infringement of her fundamental rights to the above as well as freedom from arbitrary arrest.

Petitioner Jaseekaran who had been a journalist contributing to the Tamil weekly “Sarinigar”, an alternative press. He is also the publisher and journalist of website “Outreach.sl.com” meant for building peace in the country funded by Facilitating Local Initiatives for Conflict Transformation (FLICT), a project under the German Technical Cooperation.

Following the arrest of Jaseekaran and Valarmathi, senior journalist J. S. Tissainayagam of “Outreach.sl.com.” website went to TID on the same day and informed them that as a staff member that he could be able to meet with Jasieekaran. Only then Tissanayagam was questioned and arrested and detained.

Petitioner Jaseekaran and his fiancée Valarmathi who had been the former programme producer of the Sakthi TV and former temporary lecturer in Drama and Theatre at the Jaffna University cited OIC Prasanna de Alwis, SSP Nandana Munasinghe of the TID, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, IGP Victor Perera, Inspector H. M. Janakantha of TID and the Attorney General as respondents.

J.C.Weliamuna instructed by Gowry Shangary Thavarasha appeared for the petitioners. Senior State Counsel Riyaz Hamza appeared for the respondents.

© Daily Mirror

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SRI LANKA: A false report on the Udalagama Commission - AHRC

AHRC PRESS RELEASE - The Asian Human Rights Commission has reliably learnt that the alleged extract of the Udalagama Commission of Inquiry Report published in the Lakbima newspaper and subsequently reproduced in the website of the Ministry of Defence on 7/26/2009 is not, in fact, an extract from the report but rather an extract from the submissions of the counsel appearing for the accused army officers and police officers in the two cases of the extra judicial executions of five Tamil students in Trincomalee in January 2006 and the extra judicial executions of seventeen aid workers in Mutur in August 2006.

The Udalagama Commission of Inquiry had only completed investigations into seven of the cases mentioned in its warrant but was unable to continue investigations as its mandate was not renewed earlier in June of this year. The Government has not yet made the Commission report public after it was presented to President Mahinda Rajapakse, despite repeated calls both domestically and internationally.

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Arrested "Lanka" journalists brought to colombo

The three journalists, who were arrested by the police on the charge of attempting to trespass on a Tamil Estate in the Southern province, have been handed over to the Colombo crime Division (CCD). The journalists, Sahlika Wimalasena, Daya Nathasingha, and photo journalist Ravindra Pushpakumara, who were attached to "Irida Lanka" newspaper were arrested on Wednesday (02) and detained at Deniyaya police station.

The initial reports said that the three Journalists were to be produced before the Morawaka Magistrate on Thursday (03). But the lawyers who went to Morawaka courts learnt that the journalists were to be entrusted to the custody of the CCD and will be brought to Colombo under detention order.

According to media sources in Colombo, the three journalists had visited the area to write a special report related to the upcoming Southern Provincial Council election.

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