(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – Former Governor of the Western Province Azath Salley who was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in March, has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition before the Supreme Court.
The Leader of the National Unity Front (NUF), through his Attorneys, has submitted an FR Petition claiming that his arrest and detention without a just cause was in violation of his fundamental rights.
On the advice of the Attorney General (AG) Dappula De Livera, Salley was arrested by the CID over the statements he made recently.
The AG, Inspector General of Police (IGP) C. D. Wickramaratne, CID Director Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nishantha de Zoysa, Chief Inspector of CID Jayantha Payagala, Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera, and the Secretary of the Ministry Major General (Retired) Jagath Alwis have been named as respondents in the petition.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) also called upon the Sri Lankan Authorities to conduct an impartial inquiry and release Salley if not found guilty.
The MCSL has written to the IGP raising concerns over the arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of the former Governor.
Salley is a vocal Muslim Activist and is among the many other Muslims also detained under the PTA without being charged, including Human Rights Lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah, Online Activist Ramzy Razeek and the Poet Ahnaf Jazeeem, the MCSL stated.
The Muslim Council urged the IGP to conduct impartial inquiries and charge or release all other persons detained under the PTA and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
