Sri Lanka frees arrested human rights activists ! Sri Lankan authorities have released two prominent human rights activists who were detained on Sunday under anti-terrorism laws. The arrests of Catholic priest Father Praveen Mahesan and Ruki Fernando had provoked domestic and international criticism. The authorities said they had been held under suspicion of fostering communal disharmony. Both men had been working with families of disappeared people. Sri Lankas army defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009. Since then there have been allegations of mass civilian deaths at the end of the conflict. Civil society representatives and the police confirmed to the BBC that Mr Fernando and Father Praveen were freed late on Tuesday night after a release order was granted by a magistrate. They were arrested in northern Sri Lanka and held for 48 hours on suspicion, the authorities said, of fostering communal disharmony. Their supporters, however, have described them as campaigners for human rights. The US has expressed concerned about the detention of several well-known Sri Lankan human rights activists over the past week. A female campaigner against political disappearances, who was arrested on Thursday, remains in detention under the same laws. Jeyakumari Balendrans son went missing after the war and she and her daughter had become vocal campaigners on the issue of disappearances. The government accuses her of sheltering a man they say is trying to revive the Tamil Tiger movement. bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26641597
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 07:11:38 +0000
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