A prominent Muslim politician and government critic arrested today in Sri Lanka must be released immediately, or charged with an internationally recognisable criminal offence, Amnesty International said.
Azad Sally, the leader of Sri Lanka’s newly formed Muslim Tamil National Alliance, was reportedly taken into custody on Thursday morning by the intelligence services for unknown reasons.
Sally has been an outspoken critic of a Buddhist organisation, Bodu Bala Sena, which has allegedly attacked Muslim and Christian religious establishments and agitated against certain religious practices. On Monday, he told journalists he was in hiding because he feared for his safety after receiving threats in state-run media. On Tuesday, Amnesty published a report Assault on Dissent which revealed how the government, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is promoting an official attitude that equates criticism with ‘treason’ in a bid to tighten its grip on power.
Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director Polly Truscott said:
“Azad Sally’s arrest, and the harassment he has faced over the past weeks, is indicative of the climate of fear government critics in Sri Lanka are forced to live under. He must be released immediately or charged with an internationally recognisable criminal offence. Full story...
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Azad Sally, the leader of Sri Lanka’s newly formed Muslim Tamil National Alliance, was reportedly taken into custody on Thursday morning by the intelligence services for unknown reasons.
Sally has been an outspoken critic of a Buddhist organisation, Bodu Bala Sena, which has allegedly attacked Muslim and Christian religious establishments and agitated against certain religious practices. On Monday, he told journalists he was in hiding because he feared for his safety after receiving threats in state-run media. On Tuesday, Amnesty published a report Assault on Dissent which revealed how the government, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is promoting an official attitude that equates criticism with ‘treason’ in a bid to tighten its grip on power.
Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director Polly Truscott said:
“Azad Sally’s arrest, and the harassment he has faced over the past weeks, is indicative of the climate of fear government critics in Sri Lanka are forced to live under. He must be released immediately or charged with an internationally recognisable criminal offence. Full story...
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