Journalist 'illtreated' by TID
A journalist detained in Sri Lanka has urged the judiciary to order the police to relaese him and rule that his Fundamental Rights (FR) were violated by police action.
In an FR petiotion to the Supreme Court, journalist JS Tissanayagma said he is inhumanely treated in custody and he is yet to be allowed to meet his legal representatives. The editor of the Outreach Lanka website and a columnist for Sunday Times, Mr. Tissanayagma says he was arrested as he visited a coleague arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on 06 March. The petitioner also says that he was neighther informed of any charges against him nor a copy of the Detentition Order given to him. Defence Secretary, Inspector General of Police, TID chief and others are cited as respondents in the petition. The petitioner says he launched the Outreach Lanka website in February this year with funding from German based Local Institute of Conflict Transformation. International and Sri Lankan press watchdogs have condemned the arrest of five journalists by the TID including Mr. Tissanayagam.