brand logo

Detained poet’s mother writes to PTA Board

28 Sep 2021

BY Pamodi Waravita  Detained poet Ahnaf Jazeem’s mother has submitted a written representation to the Advisory Board of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 as amended (PTA), requesting his immediate release, Jazeem’s legal representative, Attorney-at-Law (AAL) Sanjaya Wilson Jayasekera, told The Morning yesterday (28). On 25 August, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed an Advisory Board, under Article 13 of the PTA, to which any person under a detention order under the PTA may make representations. Presidential Secretariat Director General of Legal Affairs and AAL Harigupta Rohanadeera has stated that the Advisory Board is due to provide recommendations on 46 detainees. Jazeem was arrested in connection to his Tamil language poetry anthology, titled Navarasam (Nine Emotions) which the authorities have alleged promotes “extremist” ideology. However, various sections of the society have since questioned these allegations, pointing out that translations of his work show the exact opposite, where his poems are explicitly against war and violence. A number of local and international organisations, including Amnesty International, have condemned this arbitrary arrest and called for the poet’s immediate release. The European Union (EU) Parliament, earlier this month, called on the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to repeal the PTA and the European Commission to consider the temporary withdrawal of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions from Sri Lanka if it is not done. In June, the Foreign Affairs Ministry informed the EU of action underway to revisit provisions of the PTA. The GSP+ trade concessions Monitoring Mission arrived in Sri Lanka on 27 September and is due to remain in the country till 5 October.


More News..