On 3 August 2022, Human rights defender and General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union, Joseph Stalin was arrested at his office in Colombo by a team of over 25 police officers. Authori- ties claim that his arrest is due to a protest carried out in May 2022 in violation of a court order. The human rights defender was taken to the Fort police station and remanded despite suffering from poor health. Joseph Stalin’s arrest is part of increasing reprisals including arrests, abductions, in- timidation, violence, and surveillance against peaceful protesters and human rights defenders in Sri Lanka. At the time of issuing this appeal, Stalin was being taken to the Magistrate’s residence but it has not been confirmed whether he has been granted bail. Joseph Stalin is a human rights defender, the General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union and a prominent advocate for education rights and reforms. He has campaigned against militarization of education in Sri Lanka and for the rights of teachers and students against regressive state polices. Since the beginning of countrywide protests linked to the economic crisis in March 2022, Joseph Stalin has been at the forefront of peaceful campaigns seeking systematic change and more trans- parent, accountable governance. Protesters demand an end to corruption, abolishing the executive presidency which centralizes power and for the removal of the Rajapaksa family and their allies, in- cluding current President Ranil Wickremesinghe from power. The Sri Lankan government has re- sponded with violence, disinformation against protesters and widespread arrest of protesters and perceived leaders. On 3 August 2022, Joseph Stalin was arrested at his office by a large contingent of uniformed po- lice officers. Videos of his arrest show the human rights defender repeatedly asking a reason or basis for his arrest as he is not a criminal, murderer or thief. Those around him appealed to the po- lice to be careful in their treatment of the defender as he suffered from ill health. Authorities have sought to justify the arrest on the basis of a peaceful protest in which he participated in May 2022 in violation of a court order. Others who were photographed at the protest and who have since shown allegiance to the Wickremesinghe administration have been rewarded with government po- sitions. Joseph Stalin who has been consistent in calling for accountability and genuine system change, is being punished for his peaceful human rights activism. Previously on 25 July 2022, the Magistrates Court had issued a travel ban against Joseph Stalin and five other protesters raising fears of possible arrest. While many have been forced into hiding, Joseph Stalin has continued his advocacy, openly calling for an end to reprisals against protesters. The defender is due to be pro- duced before the Magistrates Court on 4 August 2022, but there are no updates on his status at the time of this appeal being issued. This is not the first time Joseph Stalin has faced reprisals for his human rights work. On 8 July 2021, Joseph Stalin was arrested along with 30 others protesting against the militarization of edu- cation in Sri Lanka. The human rights defender and other protesters were granted bail by the Colombo Magistrates Court the same day. However, despite being released on bail, Sri Lanka po- lice, forcibly placed the defender, and others, in military-run COVID-19 quarantine centers as pun- ishment for their activism.