brand logo

Police deny assaulting journalist in Akkaraipattu

06 Sep 2021

By Dinitha Rathnayake The Police rejected all allegations of being involved in the assault of freelance journalist Shahir Khan Farook. Speaking to The Morning, Police Media Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa stated that the journalist in question was not assaulted by the Akkaraipattu Police. “According to reports received from the Akkaraipattu Police, this journalist was not wearing a mask and the Police had tried to advise him to wear one, which was when Farook and his brother had tried to make it an issue. His brother had also tried to record a video.” During this time, an argument had broken out between the Police and this civilian party, SSP Thalduwa added. The alleged assault occurred on 2 September, when Farook left his home to engage in gathering news. It was said that the Police had smashed his camera during the assault. The attack follows a report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) organisation that highlighted how the Sri Lanka Police has abused its authority under the guise of Covid-19 prevention. The abuses the HRW document lists include arbitrary arrests, police brutality, torture, and extrajudicial killings. The Amnesty International organisation has further detailed how Sri Lanka has responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by attempting to silence journalists and healthcare workers.


More News..