Chief Inspector Niyomal Fernando of the Cinnamon Garden Police Station has formally apologized to journalist Kalpa Gunaratne, following allegations that his fundamental rights were violated during an unlawful arrest and torture, a case that was brought before the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission.

It is reported that on October 3, 2024, during the International Book Fair at the Bandaranaike Memorial Conference Hall in Colombo, Gunaratne was arrested while intervening in and recording an incident in which a customer was assaulted at a university exhibition stall. He was detained at the Cinnamon Garden Police Station for nearly five hours before being released on Police bail.

Gunaratne later filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, naming Chief Inspector Niyomal Fernando, who was attached to the police post at BMICH, and then‑OIC of Cinnamon Garden Police, Alok Senanayake, as respondents responsible for his unlawful arrest.

Reports state that despite being summoned several times, the respondents failed to appear before the Human Rights Commission during the hearings of the complaint.

On November 27, the current OIC of Cinnamon Garden Police informed the Commission that he would look into the matter and take necessary steps. Subsequently, the Police notified the Commission that Chief Inspector Niyomal Fernando, the main respondent, was seeking a settlement regarding the incident.

Journalist Kalpa Gunaratne has stated that he would agree to such a settlement if the Police officers apologized to him and if the baseless case filed against him in the Colombo Magistrate’s Court was withdrawn.

Accordingly, on January 2, 2026, Chief Inspector Niyomal Fernando appeared before the Human Rights Commission, gave a sworn statement and oral response, and apologized to journalist Kalpa Gunaratne. He also informed the Commission that he did not intend to pursue the case further and would take steps to withdraw it.

The case filed against Journalist Kalpa Gunaratne in the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court was recalled on January 5. At that hearing, the Police informed the court that since the matter had been settled, they did not wish to continue with the case.

Magistrate Asanka Bodaragama then informed the Police that if the case was to be withdrawn, the OIC must formally notify the court in writing. He explained that without such documentation, the case could not simply be withdrawn on the basis of a settlement.

The Magistrate instructed the Police that any withdrawal of the complaint must follow proper legal procedure, and further ordered the case to be recalled again on January 26, 2026. (Newswire)

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Opposition MP Chamindranee Kiriella has alleged that a Deputy Minister had verbally harassed a female journalist in Parliament last week.

Addressing the Parliament, MP Chamindranee Kiriella said she was present when the incident took place. 

“I was by the side of the journalist when this incident took place. At the time, she faced serious harassment. She was emotionally affected due to this incident. I express my regret over the matter. I draw the attention of the Prime Minister to this matter, as she constantly addresses these issues,” MP Chamindranee Kiriella.

She added that it was essential to draw the attention of the Prime Minister for the sake of both the government and opposition female MPs. (Newswire)

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A new report by the International Truth and Justice Project says Sri Lanka has systematically shielded the killers of journalists for over a quarter of a century.

The new report focuses on the failures of the police investigation into the October 2000 assassination of BBC Jaffna reporter, Nimalarajan Mylvaganam. 

Stating that at least 44 journalists and media workers were killed while reporting on the civil war between 2000 and 2010, the report claims that to date, not a single perpetrator has been held to account for any of them.

An Executive Summary of the ITJP Report is as follows;

Sri Lanka has systematically protected the murderers of many media workers and journalists killed in the civil war. Not one person has ever been held accountable for an upsurge of at least 44 killings that occurred between 2000 and 2010, despite in some cases lengthy criminal investigations being launched. The lack of accountability for assaults on journalists sends a chilling message to the country’s remaining news reporters who routinely risk their lives, practice self-censorship or work in exile. The level of trauma experienced by journalists in Sri Lanka is also noteworthy, many of whom have been forced to live with death threats, go into hiding or relocate, and others of whom have been detained. 

Thirty-nine-year-old Nimalarajan Mylvaganam was one of the most high-profile Tamil journalists to be assassinated because his reporting on the Sri Lankan conflict threatened the interests of politicians and the security forces. Nimalarajan Mylvaganam’s entire family fled the country for Canada and has not ever returned home. But every year in Jaffna, Nimalarajan Mylvaganam’s death is faithfully remembered by his colleagues in the Press Club. In London, the BBC, for whom he worked, named a meeting room after him, but most of those who know his story have now retired, died or left the organisation. This report sets out to document, for the historical and legal record, the ongoing impunity surrounding the assassination of the journalist Nimalarajan. It underscores the systemic failure to prosecute those responsible – failures that may have tragically enabled further violations, including subsequent targeted killings by suspects who were never brought to justice. 

The police investigation into this killing is a textbook case of how not to do it. The crime scene was never secured and recorded, and no photographs were taken or forensic evidence collected. Nimalarajan’s house was never cordoned off, despite the fact that the crime occurred during a strict curfew in a high-security zone, surrounded by multiple military checkpoints. It took years for some of the officers on duty that night to be interviewed, but many were never identified or questioned. Ballistic evidence was mishandled, and the analysis took years. No evidence was taken regarding death threats to Nimalarajan or phone calls he received, but instead, bizarrely, his bank account was investigated. Alleged suspects were allowed to roam free and commit further murders and then leave the country, allegedly with the help of the security forces. They were questioned, but when they professed innocence, this was taken at face value, and they were let free and never charged with a crime. Worryingly, suspects routinely turned up bruised and beaten, alleging they’d been tortured in custody and forced to sign false confessions. 

Meanwhile, Douglas Devananda, the leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, whose members are alleged to have committed the murder, has never been questioned by police about the killing. Instead, he’s been repeatedly made a cabinet minister in almost every government since 2000, only losing this position in 2024, but remaining a member of parliament. By contrast, Nimalarajan’s mother and father died in exile while still awaiting justice for the killing of their son. 

Although this report focuses on the murder of Nimalarajan and at least 44 journalists in the decade that followed, it should be noted that other media workers were killed or disappeared in Sri Lanka before him, including in the South. It is also worth noting the large number of reporters – Tamil and Sinhala – who have been arrested or abducted by security forces and subjected to torture in Sri Lanka in connection with their reporting of the war. They are alive and can testify to who held them and where, and yet even they have never received any acknowledgement, let alone justice. Many are now outside the country. 

Full report: https://itjpsl.com/assets/KILLING-SRI-LANKAN-JOURNALISTS_THE-CASE-OF-NIMALARAJAN-MYLVAGANAM_Final_ENGLISH_Web_compressed.pdf (Newswire)

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The Free Media Movement of Sri Lanka has unequivocally condemned the killing of journalists in Gaza and the suppression of Palestinian voices.

Issuing a statement, the Free Media Movement said this is the true face of the media repression carried out by the Israeli government amid the genocide of the Palestinian people. 

“We call upon the entire global community to recognize and stand against both the mass killings that go beyond any genuine need for national security or counter-terrorism, and the media repression intended to silence the voices of the Palestinian people who have become victims of this genocide,” it added. 

Full statement: 

Five journalists reporting to the Al Jazeera news service have been brutally killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza City. Among them was the world-renowned reporter Anas al-Sharif. He and the other journalists were killed in a targeted drone strike while reporting in a tent near Al-Shifa Hospital. This indicates that the attack was a deliberate and premeditated atrocity.

The Free Media Movement of Sri Lanka extends its deepest respect to these fellow journalists who revealed the truth about the genocide of the Palestinian people taking place in the Gaza Strip. We mourn their loss. Furthermore, in a context where foreign journalists are banned from entering Palestine, the killing of journalists working there is intended to silence the voices of people who are victims of genocide. We strongly condemn this.

According to CPJ reports, since October 2023, the number of journalists killed in Palestine has reached 186. The BBC, AP, and AFP have issued a joint statement highlighting the severe difficulties faced by their reporters, noting that they do not have enough food to survive. The BBC, in a special report, revealed that three of its freelance employees and their families had gone without food for days.

This is the true face of the media repression carried out by the Israeli government amid the genocide of the Palestinian people. We call upon the entire global community to recognize and stand against both the mass killings that go beyond any genuine need for national security or counter-terrorism, and the media repression intended to silence the voices of the Palestinian people who have become victims of this genocide. (Newswire)

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Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) says the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has summoned leading Northern journalist & rights defender, Kanapathipillai Kumanan, for an inquiry.

In a post on ‘X’, JDS said that Kanapathipillai Kumanan has been informed to appear before the CTID Sub-station in Alampil, Mullaithivu, on 17th August.

The summons,  shared by JDS, says that Kanapathipillai Kumanan has been called to record a statement, but does not imply the incident.

Commenting on the matter, former Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, Ambika Satkunanathan, said the TID summoning Kanapathipillai Kumanan is the latest in harassment and intimidation spanning many years. 

In a post on ‘X’, she said that the TID/CID and military intelligence call him often, demanding information, and over the years have warned/threatened him, by summoning him for inquiry, visiting his home and following him.

She pointed out that Kumanan is also not the only one being subject to such summons, phone calls and visits, adding that many civil society orgs, activists, former combatants, persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) years ago and families of disappeared continue to face this. 

“The fact it continues isn’t surprising because security apparatus grew in formal and informal ways during the Rajapaksa regime, wasn’t dismantled during Yahapalana and functions now as it did then,” she said.

Ambika Satkunanathan warned that unless the incumbent government issues specific instructions to them to stop such harassment, it will continue. (Newswire)

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The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. (Lake House) has given an undertaking to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka to reinstate journalist Sumudu Jayawardana to her post as Deputy Editor of the Sinhala-language weekly Silumina.

Jayawardana filed a fundamental rights petition after she was transferred to the Lake House Media Academy, alleging the move was unjustified and violated her constitutional rights.

The undertaking was recorded before a bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda and Sampath Abeykoon, who also directed that progress on the reinstatement be reported to the court by June 5.

The case cited 14 respondents, including the chairman and the board of directors of ANCL. Jayawardana was represented by attorneys Saliya Peiris, PC, Sudarshana Gunawardena, and Sarinda Jayawardena. (Newswire)

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The Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate has ordered the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to conduct further investigations into the mysterious death of a Sri Lankan journalist’s husband.

The court was informed that the journalist’s 60-year-old husband had not returned from work on 01 January 2025, and was later found in a critical condition at the Kalubowila Hospital on the following day.

The man, a resident of Vaidya Road in Dehiwala, had succumbed to injuries on 03 January. 

On the day the victim was found, an Air Force official married to a lawyer, had informed the Police that the man was found with critical injuries in the garden of a property belonging to his wife in Hill Street, Dehiwala. 

The lawyer representing the victim’s family informed the court that Dehiwala Police officers who had arrived at the location had proceeded to wash and change the clothes of the victim, instead of immediately hospitalizing him. 

The lawyer further claimed that the Dehiwala Police had failed to conduct a proper probe into the incident.

However, the Dehiwala Police notified the court that statements had been recorded from the owners of the house and area residents with regard to the incident. 

Taking into consideration the facts, especially the autopsy report which identified the cause of death as injuries caused by being attacked with a blunt object and the doubts over a fair probe by the Dehiwala Police, the court ordered the matter to be handed over to the CID.

The court also ordered the Director of the CID to appear before the court on March 18, during which the case will be taken up for hearing again. (Newswire)

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The final rites of senior journalist and former editor of Ravaya newspaper, Victor Ivan will be conducted in Galle today (Jan 20). 

According to reports, per his wish, the funeral is to be conducted within 24 hours of his demise at his hometown in Galle. 

Senior journalist Victor Ivan passed away at his house in Galle yesterday at the age of 75 after remaining ill for some time. 

Victor Ivan was known for fearless reporting and incisive commentary, cementing his place as a prominent figure in Sri Lankan media. 

His dedication to journalism and media freedom earned him widespread respect. (Newswire)

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Several prominent Sri Lankan journalists are contesting the upcoming 2024 Parliamentary Election.

Sports Journalist and president of the Professional Sports Journalists Association of Sri Lanka Karuppiah Ramakrishnan has officially signed his nomination papers to contest the election from the Nuwara Eliya District representing the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). 

Prominent broadcasting journalist A.R.V Loshan is also contesting the election from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in the Colombo District representing the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) led by Mano Ganesan. 

Srilal Wanniarachchi and Dhananjaya Narangbedda, who are journalists from a prominent local television station are to contest the election, from the Kalutara district representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), respectively.

Journalist Mahesh Senanayake is also contesting the upcoming Parliamentary Election from the Kandy district representing the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya. 

Senior journalist Eranda Wanigasekara is contesting the election from the Colombo district representing the People’s Welfare Front led by Venerable Battaramulle Seelarathana Thera. 

The General Election is scheduled for 14 November 2024. (Newswire) 

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The family of the late Pakistani journalist Khalil Jibran has appealed to local authorities to be relocated to a safer area following threats and an attack on their family-owned snooker club in the Sultankhel area of Landi Kotal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Dawn reported.

According to the Pakistani daily, Jibran’s 17-year-old son felt increasingly insecure after his father’s murder, especially since unknown assailants have targeted their snooker club, their sole remaining source of income.

Despite the incident, the family has refrained from filing a First Information Report (FIR) due to fears of reprisals.

“The market where our snooker club is located is now our only source of income, but we are living in fear after the incident on Sunday night,” the son added.

Jibran’s 15-year-old daughter expressed concerns about her safety and that of her siblings, particularly regarding their education, which her father had prioritised. She highlighted the mental stress caused by the attack, fearing further violence.

The journalist’s family has called on provincial and federal authorities to thoroughly investigate both incidents and provide adequate security.

They also seek compensation for the loss of their father and primary breadwinner.

District Police Officer Saleem Abbas Kulachi acknowledged the challenges in investigating Jibran’s murder, citing ongoing efforts to identify the perpetrators. Although no FIR has been filed for the snooker club arson, police have gathered evidence from the scene.

Khalil Jibran, a senior journalist associated with a private news channel and former president of the Landi Kotal Press Club, was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen near his residence.

His friend, Sajjad Advocate, was injured in the attack, which occurred in the Mazreena area near Landi Kotal Police Station.

The killing of journalists in Pakistan has drawn international condemnation, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urging Pakistani authorities to swiftly bring those responsible to justice and address the pervasive violence against reporters in the country.

CPJ report revealed that Jibran is the seventh journalist killed in 2024, with fellow Khyber Pakhtunkhwa journalist Kamran Dawar fatally shot in a targeted attack in Miranshah on May 21.

Balochistani journalist Muhammad Siddique Mengal was killed on May 3, Punjabi journalists Mehar Ashfaq Siyal and Sagheer Ahmed Laar were killed on May 15 and March 14 respectively, while Sindh journalist Nasrullah Gadani died on May 24, three days after he had been shot. (ANI)

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Sri Lankan authorities must immediately drop any investigation into freelance journalists Punniyamoorthy Sasikaran and Valasingham Krishnakumar in retaliation for their reporting and allow them to work without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Wednesday.

Issuing a statement, CPJ said on October 28, a police officer separately interrogated Sasikaran and Krishnakumar at their homes in the eastern Batticaloa district following their reporting on an October 8 protest, according to the advocacy group Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka and the journalists, who spoke with CPJ.

The protest, which coincided with President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to Batticaloa, included hundreds of farmers and activists demonstrating against alleged state-backed land grabbing by Sinhalese settlers. Sasikaran covered the events for the privately owned U.K.-based broadcaster IBC Tamil and digital news outlet BATTIMIRROR, while Krishnakumar reported for the privately owned websites Maddu News and Samugam Media.

The officer questioned Sasikaran and Krishnakumar about their personal and journalistic backgrounds and activities, and what occurred at the protest for around two and a half hours and one hour and 15 minutes, respectively, the journalists told CPJ.

The officer ordered them to sign written statements of their testimony and notified them that they had been named in a police criminal investigation in relation to the protest along with several farmers, politicians, and activists, and were due to appear for a hearing at the Eravur Magistrate Court on November 17. Neither Sasikaran nor Krishnakumar had received a written summons or a copy of a police report detailing the precise allegations against them as of November 8, they said.

“Sri Lankan authorities must immediately cease all forms of reprisal against journalists Punniyamoorthy Sasikaran and Valasingham Krishnakumar and ensure they may report freely,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “The government must put an end to the long-standing pattern of relentless harassment targeting Tamil journalists covering human rights violations impacting their community.”

The CPJ statement further said following Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war that ended in 2009, ethnic tensions persist between the Sinhalese people, the country’s majority ethnic group, and Tamils, who have experienced systematic discrimination in the country.

On November 4, Sasikaran and Krishnakumar received a court order, reviewed by CPJ, directing them to hand over their unedited video footage of a Buddhist monk threatening to “cut Tamils into pieces,” and to provide a statement to police in relation to a separate investigation into the monk.

On November 7, Sasikaran and Krishnakumar appeared at the Batticaloa Divisional Crime Detective Bureau and provided the footage to police, who questioned them for one hour each about their coverage and which media outlets they shared their videos with, they told CPJ.

Sasikaran and Krishnakumar told CPJ that they believed the latest incident was another form of harassment intended to muzzle their reporting on farmers and marginalized communities.

CPJ’s messages to Ajith Rohana, deputy inspector-general of the Batticaloa police, did not receive a response.

CPJ pointed out that the Police have repeatedly interrogated Sasikaran and Krishnakumar in retaliation for their work. On August 22, a mob of around 50 Sinhalese men held Krishnakumar and two other journalists captive while they were reporting on alleged state-backed land encroachments in Batticaloa. No suspects had been accountable for this incident as of November 8, Krishnakumar said. (NewsWire)

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A journalist attached to a private media institution in Sri Lanka has been apprehended in connection to the shooting incident reported in the Thalduwa area in Avissawella last Wednesday (Sep 20), it was reported.

According to media reports, Police interrogations have revealed that the journalist had provided confidential information to the mastermind of the shooting, notorious criminal ‘Manna Ramesh’, who is operating from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The journalist was arrested in the Meegoda area last night by officials of the Police Special Task Force (STF).

Inspections on the journalist’s mobile phone have revealed that he had been in contact with the notorious criminal during the period of the shooting, with the Police finding 18 calls between the two parties. 

Police investigations have also revealed that ‘Manna Ramesh’ had deposited money to the journalist’s private bank account on several occasions.

The journalist along with three others who had provided refuge for the shooter have been produced before the Avissawella Magistrate’s Court. 

The court has allowed the Police to detain the journalist for a period of 72 hours for questioning, while the other three suspects are to be detained for a period of 7 days for questioning. (NewsWire)

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