The arrest, detention and deportation of Jingjing Liao, a Chinese national, were challenged before the Court of Appeal yesterday (28).
The Petitioner in the case alleges that she was arrested while she had a valid tourist visa together with other Chinese nationals and thereafter detained illegally at the Welisara Detention Camp. She thereafter intended to challenge her arrest, detention and illegal deportation.
The Petitioner’s counsel told the Court that on Friday, the 27th of March 2026, Attorneys were present the entire day at the immigration department and the Welisara Detention Centre to obtain signatures for the Affidavit and proxy to be filed before the Court on the same day.
The Court was informed that immigration officials prevented them from gaining access to the immigration detention camp in Welisara until 4 pm, resulting in them being unable to file an action in Court to prevent her deportation to China without consent.
However, the Court was informed that on Sunday, 29th March 2026, the Petitioner, together with 125 others, were deported to China on a special flight and the Petitioner’s whereabouts are now unknown.
In the Petition, the Petitioner states that she had not violated her visa conditions and had brought tickets to travel to Malaysia. She said that she did not want to be sent by force without her consent to China. The Petition stated that such deportation was illegal and unknown to the law.
The matter was first heard on 2nd April 2026. Thereafter, when the matter was taken up yesterday, the Attorney General, appearing for the officers of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, informed the court that they intend to file documents which demonstrate that the arrest and detention of the Petitioner were legal.
The matter was fixed for support on 2nd June 2026.
Counsel Hafeel Farisz with N.K. Ashokbharan and Prashan Wickramaratne appeared for the Petitioner. State Counsel Prabhashanee Jayasekara appeared for the officers of the Department of Immigration and Emigration. (Newswire)