A lawyer appearing on behalf of two undergraduates who became active participants in the “GotaGoGama” protests today filed two fundamental rights petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the detention order issued against them under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Attorney-at-law Manjula Balasooriya has filed these petitions on behalf of Ven. Welwewa Siridhamma and Hashan Jeewantha Gunathilake, the undergraduates of the Universities of Sri Jayawardenepura and Kelaniya, respectively.

The petitioner states that thousands of citizens and groups, including the Inter-University Students’ Federation, had been actively participating in several protests and demonstrations which formed part of the wider “Gota Go Home’ movement.

The petitioner is seeking a declaration that the arrest and detention of two undergraduates are unlawful.

Through this application, the petitioner is challenging the legality of the arrest and detention of the detainees under the Detention Orders issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as Minister of Defence.

The petitioner is further seeking an interim order to produce the detainees in the Magistrate’s Court in terms of the law.

The petitioner has named IGP Chandana Wickremaratne, CID Director Kavinda Piyasekera, Director of TID Prasanna Alwis, Attorney General, and several others as respondents.

The petitioner said the initial arrest of the detainees had been made in breach of the PTA and followed the procedure established by law, including the mandatory provisions of ordinary criminal law and the PTA.

The petitioner is of the view that the detention orders have been issued by the Minister of Defence after taking into account irrelevant considerations and without considering relevant facts of the matter.

The petitioner further stated that the detention order is contrary to the established principles of law.