Former Western Province Governor and leader of the National Unity Alliance Azath Salley today complained to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on his arrest and judicial detention for nine months.
Salley was arrested, on the 16th of March 2021 over an allegation that he made a statement detrimental to ethnic-religious harmony in the country.
Salley said before his arrest the Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera, during a speech in Parliament, threatened to arrest him for views expressed by him at a press conference.
Salley said he was arrested on the 16th of March 2021 on the instructions of then-Attorney General Dappula De Livera PC, purportedly on the views expressed by him at the Weekly Press Briefing of his Party on the 9th of March 2021.
He said that an edited and manipulated version of his Press Briefing was aired and publicised by certain Sections of the Media and formed the basis for his arrest and detention.
Salley called upon the Human Rights Commission to immediately inquire into the violations of his Fundamental Rights enshrined in chapter three of the Constitution being one of the principal reasons for the establishment of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka under the Human Rights Commission Act 21 of 1996.
On December 2, last year, the Colombo High Court had ordered to acquit and release Azath Salley from a case filed by Attorney General against him over a statement he made on March 9 this year.
The High Court observed that prosecution evidence has failed to establish the commission of the offences as mentioned in the indictment.
