The Fundamental Rights petition filed on behalf of 25-year-old poet Ahnaf Jazeem challenging his arrest and detention was today fixed for support by Supreme Court.
The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had arrested Ahnaf Jazeem under the Prevention of Terrorism Act over an allegation that he had promoted extremism and violence in children and aided and abetted Muslim extremism through his literary work.
When this Fundamental Rights petition came up before Supreme Court three-judge-bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, the court was informed, that notices for the urgent hearing not served on the respondents. Accordingly, Supreme Court fixed the matter for support on 6th July.
The petition has also sought an interim order to release Ahnaf Jazeem from detention.
The Poet Ahnaf Jazeem was arrested on the 16th May 2021 at his home in Chilavathurai.
Ahnaf Jazeem has been a writer of poems and short stories since his school times, has presented his poems to poetry competitions and has been awarded.
The petitioner stated that the Poet, AhnafJazeem did not, by way of his artistic writings, support or incite violence or promoted extremism, racism within sections of the Muslim community, but on the contrary, exactly opposed the same.
The petitioner states, to date, Ahnaf Jazeem is under illegal detention upon purported Detention Orders, without being produced to Court for over ten months.
