Social media activist and the admin of the ‘GoHomeGota2022’ Facebook page Thisara Anurudhdha Bandara arrested for allegedly attempting to cause disaffection to the President the Government was released on bail after being produced before Colombo Magistrate Court.
Magistrate S Prabhakaran ordered the release of the suspect on surety bail of Rs 100,000
The suspect was produced in Court by police in the wee hours of today, and a group of lawyers providing Pro-Bono legal assistance to Anuruddha Bandara spent long hours in the Court until the Police brought him before Court.
A group of lawyers headed by Senior Counsel Sarath Jayamanna PC argued that there is no evidence to prove his client had committed any offence stipulated under section 120 of the Penal Code.
Jayamanna submitted to Court that his client has only campaigned for a peaceful assembly through Facebook posts by exercising freedom of expression, a fundamental right guaranteed under the constitution.
Section 120 of the Penal Code states: “Whoever by words, either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs; or by visible representations, or otherwise, excites or attempts to excite feelings of disaffection to the President of the Government of the Republic, or excites or attempts to excite hatred to or contempt of the administration of justice, or excites or attempts to excite the People of Sri Lanka to procure, otherwise than by lawful means, the alteration of any matter by law established or attempts to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the People of Sri Lanka or to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different classes of such People, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years”.
The suspect was arrested by the Mutuwal Police for allegedly attempting to excite feelings of disaffection toward the President and the Government of the Republic through a Facebook page named ‘GoHomeGota2022’.
President’s Counsel Sarath Jayamanna, Senior Counsel Kaushalya Nawaratne, Darshana Kuruppu, Upul Kumarapperuma, Gamini Alwis, Sunil Watagala and hundreds of lawyers appeared for the suspect.
