Three individuals who were deported from India and are allegedly connected to criminal activities in Sri Lanka have been taken into custody by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) at the Katunayake Airport.

It was reported that these suspects were deported from India to Sri Lanka yesterday, via an aircraft belonging to an Indian airline.

According to Indian media reports, the three individuals had illegally entered Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka. They had crossed into Tamil Nadu by boat approximately 15 days ago.

Upon arrival in India, it was discovered that they possessed no legal documentation to remain in the country. Reports also indicate that these individuals are facing multiple ongoing legal cases in Sri Lanka.

Furthermore, the three suspects are believed to have links to the cache of explosives that were discovered recently in the Valvettithurai area in Jaffna. The cache of explosives discovered in that incident was reportedly hidden by the LTTE during the civil war. (Newswire)

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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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The Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has launched a probe into a group allegedly working with international terrorist organizations and posting extremist views related to the LTTE on the Internet, it was reported.

According to Daily News, the TID yesterday (Jan 08) informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasinghe of the investigation, stating that the probe is being conducted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The TID further said that the group is found to be communicating its propaganda through mobile phones, sharing information on extremist ideas with one another via various websites.

The TID also informed the court that these people have exchanged information claiming that the time has come to restore LTTE terrorism that was eradicated after the end of the 30-year war in this country.

The TID added that a probe is being conducted focusing on the mobile phone numbers used by the people who run these extremist websites. (NewsWire)

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The Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court has been informed of an alleged plan by the terrorist outfit ISIS, targetting several areas in Colombo, including the Parliament, Colombo Port City, and Gangaramaya, it was reported. 

According to State Newspaper Dinamina, presenting facts to Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasinghe on Thursday (Oct 05), the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) revealed that it has uncovered plans by ISIS to carry out bomb attacks targeting several locations in Colombo. 

The TID stated that information has come to light that a group of inmates related to ISIS who are detained in Sri Lankan prisons for terrorism-related activities have formulated the plan. 

The Court was informed that an inmate of the Pallekele prison with knowledge of the terrorist plan had thrown a letter with details to the Thanekumbura police checkpoint.

Investigations have revealed that the inmate had been assaulted by the group planning the terrorist attack after the former had overheard their conversation pertaining to the bomb attacks which were being formulated through mobile phone calls.

The inmate is reported to have thrown a letter with details on the terrorism plan, including the prisoners who are involved and the mobile phone numbers, at the Police checkpoint while he was being escorted from Pallekele to Mahara. 

Stating that an investigation has been launched into the said letter, the TID requested the court to allow the implicated inmates to be questioned in this regard.

Taking into consideration the facts, the Colombo Additional Magistrate instructed the TID to proceed by obtaining the necessary orders in this regard from the courts of the relevant areas. (NewsWire)

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Former Attorney General Dappula de Livera has been summoned to the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) tomorrow (19).

Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe revealed that the incumbent Attorney General was instructed to record a statement from Dappula de Livera over a claim made with regard to the 2019 Easter Attacks days before his retirement.

Stating that Dappula de Livera had claimed, “There is a Grand Conspiracy with regard to the 2019 April Attacks”, the Justice Minister said there is a certain degree of scepticism surrounding the investigations due to his statement. 

The Justice Minister pointed out that Dappula De Livera as the Attorney General at the time of the Easter attacks should have summoned the Police and ordered them to conduct further investigations if the level of inquiry was insufficient or could have made submissions at the Magistrate’s Courts in this regard. 

Minister Rajapakshe further stated that Dappula de Livera has been summoned before the TID to determine based on what information the latter had made the remarks and why he had made such a statement.

In early May 2021, former Attorney General Dappula De Livera claimed “There is a Grand Conspiracy with regard to the 2019 April Attacks.” (NewsWire)

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