Five international rights groups have called on the Sri Lankan authorities to end the harassment and persecution of former Sunday Observer Editor and Sri Lanka reporter for the New York Times Dharisha Bastians and ensure her safety in a hard hitting statement issued today (24).
A collective statement issued by Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Front Line Defenders and Human Rights Watch said the authorities should stop targeting, intimidating, and harassing journalist and women human rights defender, Dharisha Bastians, and her family.
The rights groups and media watchdogs said Bastians was being targeted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in its investigation into what the Sri Lankan government maintains is a false claim of abduction by an employee of the Swiss Embassy.
“Swiss officials assert that the incident took place. Since December 2019, the CID has tried to link Bastians, and several others, to an inquiry into the alleged false accusation by the Swiss employee, seemingly attempting to prove some form of conspiracy. Pro-government media have conducted a campaign against Bastians and her family, supported by attacks on social media, labeling her a traitor and criminal,” the statement added.
As former editor of the Sunday Observer newspaper and contributor to the New York Times Bastians had written extensively on human rights, militarization, corruption, religious freedom, democracy, and political rights in Sri Lanka, the rights groups said.
“Her writing has consistently highlighted the struggles of people targeted by successive governments, especially religious and ethnic minorities,” the statement added.
“The Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Front Line Defenders condemn this assault on human rights and press freedom in Sri Lanka and call on the Sri Lanka Police to immediately stop the harassment and ensure Bastians’ safety,” the statement said. (Newswire)