Journalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan says he was interrogated for nearly seven hours by Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on Sunday, in a move that has drawn international concern over press freedom in the country.

Kumanan said the questioning lasted 6 hours and 45 minutes and covered his journalism and photography work, social media activities, financial records, phone calls, and overseas visits. He later expressed gratitude for the solidarity and support he received, vowing to continue fact-based reporting despite the pressure.

The summons against him follows a complaint lodged by military intelligence. Media rights groups say the move is part of a broader pattern of harassment of journalists, particularly those reporting on sensitive issues linked to the civil war and its aftermath.

In a joint statement, a coalition of human rights and press freedom organisations — including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), International Press Institute (IPI), FORUM-ASIA, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), and others — urged Sri Lanka to end reprisals against Kumanan and withdraw the TID summons.

They also called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to renew the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) monitoring mandate on Sri Lanka, citing continued misuse of counter-terrorism laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to silence dissent.

“The international community must closely monitor all ongoing violations and reprisals in Sri Lanka, especially the continued misuse of counter-terrorism legislation to suppress those speaking out on war-related crimes,” the statement said.

In this backdrop, Sri Lanka’s human rights record is set to come under review at the UNHRC’s 60th session in Geneva later this year. (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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