SRI LANKA: Journalist J. S. Tissainayagam freed

13 January 2010

RAN 45/08 - Update # 4

International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee welcomes the release on bail of Tamil journalist Jayaprakash Sittampalam (J. S.) Tissainayagam, who was detained in March 2008 and sentenced to twenty years in prison for his critical writings. International PEN considers Tissainayagam to be convicted in violation of Article 19 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Sri Lanka is a state party. It urges the authorities to abide by their obligations to the international treaties protecting free expression when hearing his appeal.

According to International PEN's information, on 11 January 2010 J. S. Tissainayagam was granted release on bail pending appeal. The Appeal Court has ordered him to pay 50,000 Rupees (approx US $500), and to surrender his passport. The appeals process could take up to two years unless expedited by the attorney-general.

On 31 August 2009 a High Court in Sri Lanka sentenced J. S. Tissainayagam to twenty years' imprisonment with hard labour under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), for "causing communal disharmony" in his articles published in 2006 by the magazine North-Eastern Monthly. He was also found guilty of raising funds to publish the magazine. An allegedly forced confession made by Tissainayagam while in police custody was used as evidence to convict him.

A Tamil journalist for the Sunday Times newspaper and editor of Outreach Sri Lanka, J. S. Tissainayagam was arrested on 7 March 2008 by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) in Colombo. The day before, 6 March, his colleague V. Jasikaran (Jasiharan), owner of the E-Kwality printing works and reporter for the news website Outreach Sri Lanka, was arrested with his wife. The couple were released in October 2009, after the State Prosecutor announced that there was no evidence to support the charge that the couple had links with terrorist acts or organisations.

Background:
Initial reports suggested that both journalists were accused of receiving money from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) rebel group; however it is widely believed that they were targeted for their reporting and analysis on the conflict between government forces and the LTTE in the northern part of the country.

Previous WiPC alert: http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/go/news/sri-lanka-publisher-released-journalist-remains-imprisoned
BBC news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8451413.stm
The Hindu: http://beta.thehindu.com/news/international/article78824.ece?homepage=true