Two Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions have been filed at the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka challenging the Gazette declaring High-Security Zones in Colombo.
The petitions have been filed by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarians Harshana Rajakaruna and Mujibur Rahuman.
Minister of Defence Ranil Wickremesinghe, Acting Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne, and the Attorney General have been named as respondents.
The Petitioners state that the said purported Order declaring High-Security Zones in its entirety is grossly erroneous, unjustifiable, ultra vires, irrational, illegal, arbitrary, bad in law and contrary to the provisions of the Officials Secrets Act.
The Petitioners further state that the Official Secrets Act does not grant carte blanche authority to the President in his capacity as Minister of Defence to misuse, misinterpret and misapply his powers under the Act and unlawfully create “High-Security Zones” without any legal basis whatsoever, under the guise of the said Act, and unlawfully restricting access to public places and free movement in the said “High-Security Zones” in order to suppress the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protests, amounts to gross violation of the fundamental rights of the citizens.
They have thereby requested the Supreme Court to grant an interim order suspending the operation of the said purported Order contained in Gazette (Extraordinary) bearing no. 2298/53 dated 3rd September 2022 until the final determination of their FR petitions. (NewsWire)