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GoSL weaponising PTA, SLMC tells EU 

30 Sep 2021

  • Cites cases of Hizbullah, poet Ahnaf 
BY Pamodi Waravita  Opposition Party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), in its meeting on 28 September with the European Union’s (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions Monitoring Mission for the Third Cycle, has raised concerns about the Government’s use of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 as amended (PTA) to unfairly target those such as lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah and poet Ahnaf Jazeem. “The delegation asked us about allegations that the PTA is being used to hunt those who oppose the Government. We spoke about how Hizbullah, who worked on many human rights issues, has been detained for a lengthy period of time under the PTA. We also highlighted the case of Jazeem, who has also been under detention, without charges against him, for over a year now,” said SLMC Leader and Parliamentarian Rauff Hakeem at a press conference held on 28 September, following his discussion with the EU delegation. The SLMC has stressed on the need for the repeal of the PTA, thereby backing an earlier call for the same made by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) when the latter met the visiting EU delegates, and said that they would not accept any “plaster solutions” put forward by the Government regarding the matter. Jazeem was arrested in connection to his Tamil language poetry anthology, titled Navarasam (Nine Emotions) which the authorities have alleged as promoting 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. Hizbullah was arrested on 14 April 2020 under the PTA for allegedly being involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, although he was only charged a year later in March. At the time of his arrest, his alleged crimes were “aiding and abetting” one of the Easter Sunday bombers, although it later emerged that he had represented one of the bomber’s families in two land-related cases. He is now being charged with speech-related offences under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act. However, these charges are based on statements made by a minor to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Other children who were interviewed by the CID have since maintained that they were coerced and threatened to make statements.  He added that the delegation has also focused on the emergency regulations that were imposed by the Government at the end of August to ensure that the supply of essential goods is not hindered. The SLMC has claimed that these regulations and other laws in operation due to the Covid-19 pandemic are being used for the oppression of the Opposition. “We also expressed our disappointment about the politicisation of the investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019. The Government has not taken adequate steps to properly conduct them,” claimed Hakeem.  The European Parliament, earlier this year, called on the Government to repeal the PTA and the European Commission (EC) to consider the temporary withdrawal of the GSP+ from Sri Lanka if it is not done. The visiting Mission is comprised of EC Senior Advisor on Trade and Sustainable Development Nikolaos Zaimis, European External Action Service (EEAS) South Asia Division Head Ioannis Giogkarakis Argyropoulos, EC GSP Trade Preferences Coordinator Guido Dolara, EC Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion Unit Head Lluis Prats, EEAS Desk Officer for Sri Lanka Monika Bylaite, and EEAS Human Rights Policy Officer Paolo Salvia.

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