brand logo

Another activist arrested, ex-IUSF leader ‘abducted’

09 Aug 2022

The fundamental rights (FR) petition filed by Catholic priest and “aragalaya” (struggle) activist Amila Jeewantha Peiris, seeking an order preventing his imminent arrest, was scheduled to be heard in the Supreme Court this morning (9). The petition requests the court to prevent Peiris’s arrest over his participation in the Galle Face protests. The petitioner has cited as respondents the Officer-In-Charge of the Balangoda Police, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, Inspector General of Police Chandana D. Wickramaratne, and the Commanders of the Tri Forces. The petition has complained of the likely violation of his personal liberty by way of unreasonable arrest. The petition has therefore requested the Supreme Court to grant him interim relief by directing the respondents to refrain from arresting him until the petition is finally determined by the court. The instructing attorneys in the application are Namal Karunaratne and Udara Mahindaratne. Meanwhile, Piyath Nikeshala of Koswatta, a youth activist involved in a recent protest campaign, was arrested by the Police when he arrived at the Slave Island Police Station upon request. Elsewhere, Mangala Maddumage, a former leader of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) and National Organiser of the Revolutionary Students’ Union, was allegedly abducted near the Colombo Public Library in a three-wheeler. As protestors of the “aragalaya” declared today a national day of protest (“jathika virodatha dinaya”) in their own cities and regions, people are expected to gather in their own towns to protest against State repression, especially demanding that the Government abolish the state of emergency, the emergency law, and the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act as amended, and also to release all protestors who were arrested, while demanding a halt to the political witch hunt targeting protestors. A leaflet containing the new demands of the “aragalaya”, and the way forward will be distributed during the regional protests on the day. The Trade Union Co-ordination Centre will be organising a rally at the Viharamahadevi grounds at 2 p.m.


More News..