International condemnation of journalist arrest

Photo courtesy: www.lankaenews.com

BBC Sinhala
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International rights organisations have called for the immediate release of an editor of a website critical of the Sri Lankan government.

Bennett Rupasinghe, News Editor of LankaeNews was remanded by courts following his arrest by the Wellampitiya police on Thursday.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that he should be released immediately.

RSF research coordinator Gilles Lordet speaking to BBC Sandeshaya said, "this can be seen as part of ongoing harassment against the LankaeNews".

Bennett 'threatned a man'

The Paris based organisation had earlier made an international appeal for help in finding the means to guarantee the physical safety of LankaeNews' journalists.

Police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody says Bennett Rupasinghe, was arrested following a complaint that he had threatened a man by telephone.

Sunil Jayasekara, convener of the group Free Media Movement, says the arrest was made on questionable grounds and is an attempt to silence dissenting media.

"This clearly shows the government is misusing police and judicial powers in addition to extra legal methods against independent media in stifling dissent," said Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS).

Amnesty International's researcher Yolanda Foster called the arrest 'a misuse of executive authority'.

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says that this situation cries out for immediate international support.

"Given that its editor is in exile, its office recently gutted by fire, and its political cartoonist 'disappeared' for more than a year, the threat to the safety of its remaining staff are clear," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator.

'Sinister motives'

Maithree Gunarathne, leading the lawyers team representing LankaeNews told journalists accused the government of 'sinister motives' in harassing journalists.

Prageeth Eknaligoda, a cartoonist working with the website had disappeared over a year ago. His wife has asked for UN intervention to find him after the Sri Lankan government has been unable to provide any information.

In January the LankaeNews office in the Colombo suburbs came under an arson attack. Media organisations have expressed scepticism about the two suspects who have been taken into custody.

The chief editor of LankaeNews has already fled the country and is living in exile.

Sri Lanka is ranked 158th out of 178 countries in the latest Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.

© BBC Sinhala

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JDS calls for urgent release of Lanka-E-News journalist

Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka
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JDS URGENT ALERT
2011 March 31 | 13.10 GMT

A senior Sri Lankan journalist and the News Editor of Lankaenews website, Benett Rupasinghe, has been arrested today (31) by the Sri Lankan Police, dealing yet another blow to the already worsened media freedom and human rights situation in the country. Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) condemns the outrageous arrest of Mr.Rupasinghe in the strongest terms while urging for his immediate release.

This is yet another act of intimidation against media freedom in general and Lankaenews in particular by the incumbent government of Sri Lanka.

A senior Sri Lankan journalist and the News Editor of Lankaenews website, Benett Rupasinghe, has been arrested today (31) by the Sri Lankan Police, dealing yet another blow to the already worsened media freedom and human rights situation in the country. Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) condemns the outrageous arrest of Mr.Rupasinghe in the strongest terms while urging for his immediate release.

This is yet another act of intimidation against media freedom in general and Lankaenews in particular by the incumbent government of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Rupasinghe was arrested when he turned up at the police station on the invitation of the police to record a statement. This clearly shows the government is misusing police and judicial powers in addition to extra-legal methods against independent media in order to stifling dissent.

The office of the Lankaenews in the very outskirts of capital Colombo, was burnt down last month by an “unknown group” of people. No one has been arrested to date in this regard. The Chief Editor of Lankaenews, has already fled the country and is living in exile, fearing persecution.

The JDS appeals to all concerned groups and individuals to take necessary action to demand for immediate release of journalist Benett Rupasinghe.

Please act - Make phone calls and send emails to:

Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya
Call: +94 1128223788 / +94 1128548865
Email : telligp@police.lk

Executive Committee
Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka

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Sri Lankan police arrest editor of website critical of government

By The Associated Press | Yahoo! News
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Sri Lankan police say they have arrested the editor of a news website critical of the government, a move a media rights group said is intended to intimidate independent journalists.

Police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody says Bennett Rupasinghe, the editor of LankaeNews.com, was arrested Thursday following a complaint that he had threatened a man by telephone.

Sunil Jayasekara, convener of the group Free Media Movement, says the arrest was made on questionable grounds and is an attempt to silence dissenting media.

A columnist for the website has been missing for more than a year, and its office was set on fire earlier this year.

© Yahoo! News

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