Eight European human rights ambassadors today said that they remain deeply concerned by the continued incarceration of lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah since April 2020. The human rights ambassadors of the UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, the Netherlands and Luxembourg called on Sri Lankan authorities to respect due process and human rights defenders. “We remain deeply concerned by the continued incarceration of reputed lawyer Mr. Hejaaz Hizbullah since April 2020. We regret to note that after ten months of detention, Mr. Hizbullah is now being accused of speech-related offenses under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and other laws. “Mr. Hizbullah is a leading advocate of the rights of people from the minority communities including Muslims in Sri Lanka, and a vocal critic of discriminatory policies. “We note that the role of human rights defenders is crucial to the protection and promotion of human rights in a country. Governments have a special responsibility to protect human rights defenders, and prevent their persecution. “We join the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, special procedures mandate holders, in urging the Government of Sri Lanka to respect human rights defenders such as Mr. Hizbullah,” they said.