Sri Lanka: media worker assaulted, held by the police
Event- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Initial Date
- Apr 7, 2021
- Event Description
Freelance Journalist Malika Abeykoon, who was assaulted and arrested by Sri Lankan police on April 7, has been placed on remand until April 12. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Sri Lankan affiliates, the Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions (FMETU) and the Free Media Movement (FMM) demand his immediate release.
Abeykoon was arrested while he was covering a health workers’ protest rally organised by the United Health Workers Union (UHWU) on April 7. Following his arrest, he was brutally assaulted multiple times inside Maradana Police Station. The journalist was not given any reason for his arrest.
According to FMM Abeykoon was put before the Maligakanda Magistrate's Court on April 8 with a fabricated medical report signed from a judicial medical officer stating that he had not been assaulted. In response, Abeykoon removed his shirt and showed the judge the bruises and scars he received the night before in the Maradana police station. He also revealed that no medical attention was given to him while he was in police custody. The judge then asked Abeykoon to submit a medical report from the prison hospital and placed him on remand until April 12.
Following his arrest, activists protested in front of Maradana police station demanding his immediate release. The protestors accused the government of violating their democratic rights. No protestors were allowed to visit Abeykoon.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Judicial Harassment
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Offline
- Right to health
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 6.935830382615348
Longitude: 79.85398877438188
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 7 April 2021, Malika Abeykoon, media worker, was assaulted and arbitrarily arrested by the police, denied medical treatment for covering a protest in Colombo, Sri Lanka.