SRI LANKA: Publisher released; journalist remains imprisoned.

17 November 2009

RAN 45/08 - Update # 3

International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee welcomes the release of Tamil publisher Vetrivel Jasikaran (Jasiharan) and his wife Vadivel Valarmathy, on 26 October 2009, after being held for nineteen months. Their detention was linked to that of journalist Jayaprakash Sittampalam (J. S.) Tissainayagam who is serving a twenty-year prison sentence for his critical writings. International PEN reiterates its demand for J. S. Tissainayagam's immediate and unconditional release, in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Sri Lanka is a state party.

According to International PEN's information, Tamil publisher and owner of the E-Kwality Printing Works, and journalist for the news website Outreach Sri Lanka, Vetrivel Jasikaran and his wife Vadivel Valarmathy, were released on 26 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. The couple were arrested on 6 March 2008 by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) in Colombo, and were held under the Emergency Regulations (ER) for allegedly aiding and abetting Tamil journalist and Outreach Sri Lanka editor J. S. Tissainayagam in his activities. The three of them remained held for five months without charges. There were allegations of police ill-treatment against them during that period. 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.

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. In addition, he was found guilty of raising funds to publish the magazine. A confession made by Tissainayagam while in police custody and allegedly forced under torture was used as evidence to convict him. His sentence is currently under appeal.

Further information

Previous WiPC alert:
http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/index.cfm?objectid=7FB91F28-3048-676E-266C2E0F663AB4DD

Amnesty International report:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/sri-lanka-jails-journalist-20-years-exercising-right-freedom-expression-20090901