A collective of academics, journalists, feminist activists, and lawyers has issued a statement expressing concern and solidarity with Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, following reports that she has been summoned to appear before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Issuing a statement, the collective stated that the summons is reportedly linked to an ongoing case against her husband, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, concerning the alleged use of public funds to attend a ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton. At the event, Professor Wickremesinghe was awarded an Honorary Professorship in recognition of her extensive research, training, and policy work on gender equity and equality.
Professor Wickremesinghe, who holds a PhD from the University of London, serves as Chair and Senior Professor of English at the University of Kelaniya and is the founding Director of its Centre for Gender Studies. With over three decades of teaching and research experience, she has contributed significantly to gender equality policy development, training, and programme evaluation both in Sri Lanka and internationally. Her doctoral work, Making Meaning of Meaning-making: A Case Study of Feminist Research Methodology in Sri Lanka, has been widely cited and published by Routledge, they said.
The statement highlights her service on national and international advisory bodies, including the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and the Commonwealth Secretariat’s “Commonwealth Says No More” initiative. It also notes her role in catalysing the establishment of gender studies centres across Sri Lanka’s university system.
Signatories stressed that Professor Wickremesinghe is an independent scholar of recognised integrity and distinction, and warned that investigative processes must be conducted fairly, transparently, and in adherence to due process. They expressed concern that she appears to be drawn into proceedings that are political in nature and centred on allegations against her husband.
The statement calls on authorities to ensure that investigative actions do not result in harassment, intimidation, or reputational harm to independent academics, emphasising that academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and protection from political victimisation are essential pillars of democracy. (Newswire)
