Do not sign detention orders to detain Human Rights Defenders – UN Special Rapporteur
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor Tweeted that she is ‘deeply concerned’ that Human Rights Defenders Wasantha Mudalige, Hashantha Jeevantha Gunathilaka and Galwewa Siridhamma Thero have been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
She urged Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe not to sign their detention orders. She added, ‘doing so would be a dark day for Sri Lanka’.
The arrested IUSF convener Wasantha Mudalige, Hashantha Gunathilake and Galwewa Siridhamma Thero, are being detained at the Peliyagoda Special Investigation Unit and suspects are currently being interrogated under the 72-hour detention orders, Police said.
Three arrestees have been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the police have requested permission from the Ministry of Defense to obtain detention orders for further investigation.
On 18th August, 19 persons including Wasantha Mudalige were arrested by the police during a protest held by the IUSF in Colombo, and 15 were released on bail after being produced before court.
The court ordered the remand of one of the arrestees until 26th August.
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Yes! Yes! Any insurgent, thug or terrorist become a human right defender since they say so or wearing a headband saying so. Which one of the human rights that the SL government blocked he was defending exactly?
How very predictable! Most leftist-liberal western regimes in recent times have cracked-down on “protesters” (for whatever reason and mind you, there is a plethora of them!) in their own countries, by using force and/or criminal prosecution and so they cannot come down on current GOSL too strongly as the hypocrisy would be too obvious and odious…so what’s the next alternative – of course the UN! That aside, according to the meddlesome woman, breaking the nation’s law is quite OK as long as you are a “human rights defender” ? Wow, wow indeed!
The UN is a failed universal governor.
It is just another Bureaucracy that is totally ineffective.
It has many layers of ‘Public Servants’ who know not what they are doing.
It has a Secretary General (who probably earns close to our Ranjith, the International Toilet Cleaner).
See the destruction in Ukraine cased by the Russian invasion.
Innocent grandmothers who have lived in cold apartments for all their lives, driven to the streets.
What has the UN done? Why has it not been able to stop this disastrous destruction?
Has Mary Lawler ever spoken a word about the Ukrainian invasion?