Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton, Canada, has raised alarm over the arrest of 24‑year‑old Tamil hip hop artist Sangeethsan Ganeskumar, known as Hiphop Sangee, under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
In a post on ‘X’, the Brampton Mayor described the move as “a flagrant violation of free speech,” stressing that criminalizing an artist for expressing his identity and sharing music undermines democratic values.
Brown noted that successive Sri Lankan governments have repeatedly pledged to repeal the PTA but continue to weaponize it to silence dissent.
“Since the height of the Tamil genocide in 2009, Tamils still live under intense military surveillance and systemic oppression,” he said, adding that the arrest underscores the importance of remembrance projects such as the Tamil Genocide Monument in Brampton.
He called for Ganeskumar’s immediate release and joined global human rights organizations in demanding the total abolishment of the PTA.
His comments came following concerns raised by Amnesty International South Asia, which highlighted ongoing misuse of the PTA despite government promises to repeal the law.
In a post on ‘X’, Amnesty criticized the legislation’s “overly broad provisions” and incompatibility with international human rights standards.
The organization pointed to Ganeskumar’s arrest on June 2, noting that he has been remanded until June 17 over a performance authorities claim glorified the LTTE.
Amnesty argued that the PTA’s vague offences do not align with international law and urged Sri Lankan authorities to release him unless charged with a recognizable offence under fair trial standards.
“Sri Lankan authorities must immediately release Sangeethan Ganeshkumar unless he is promptly charged with an internationally recognisable offence in proceedings consistent with international fair trial standards,” Amnesty said.
Amnesty also flagged due process concerns in other cases, including the detention of former State Intelligence Service Chief Suresh Salley, arrested in February in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. Families and lawyers have alleged inhumane treatment in custody.
The organization stressed that suspects must be brought to justice through strict adherence to due process and fair trial rights, while victims of the bombings deserve truth, justice, and reparations.
Amnesty further noted that the PTA has been invoked in drug‑related cases, raising questions about its scope and application, warning that the Act enables arbitrary practices and creates conditions conducive to torture due to the absence of safeguards.
Amnesty International has called on Sri Lankan authorities to promptly investigate allegations of abuse and misuse of the PTA, ensure full due process guarantees for all detainees, impose an immediate moratorium on its use, and repeal the legislation without delay. (Newswire)
Deeply concerned by the arrest of 24-year-old Tamil hip hop artist Sangeethsan Ganeskumar (known as Hiphop Sangee) in Sri Lanka under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Criminalizing an artist for expressing his identity and sharing music is a flagrant violation of… https://t.co/gebBuuBcRn
— Patrick Brown (@patrickbrownont) June 8, 2026