On 3 September 2022, human rights defender Sabharatnam Sivayoganathan, also known as Seelan, received a summons to appear before the Counter-Terrorism Investigation Division (CTID) for interrogation on 9 September 2022. The reason for the questioning was not given. The human rights defender’s lawyer wrote to the CTID requesting to postpone the inquiry because of the ill-health of his fatherand provided documents confirming the medical condition. The letter was handed over to the officer in charge of the Terrorism Investigation Division, Fort, Colombo. On 12 September 2022, Seelan received a call from a police officer from the Kallady, Batticaloa police station, and was informed that the inquiry will be conducted in Batticaloa and with a date to be specified.

Sabharatnam Sivayoganathan is a longstanding human rights defender in Sri Lanka. During the ethnic conflict and civil war in Sri Lanka, Seelan supported victims of human rights violations in their fight for justice, many of whom are from vulnerable and impoverished communities. Seelan is an active committee member of the Batticaloa district NGO Consortium, a committee member of Transparency International Sri Lanka and the President of Batticaloa district civil society forum. Seelan has been part of several initiatives in relation to peace-building, transitional justice and the reconciliation processes. He has been vocal about the reprisals and intimidation faced by regional journalists, military land grabbing, militarization and the Presentation of Terrorism Act.

Sabharatnam Sivayoganathan has been targeted in the past by intelligence officials and court orders linked to his human rights work. In April and May 2022, intelligence officers visited Sabharatnam Sivayoganathan’s office in Batticaloa and questioned him about his human rights work. In September 2021, the Batticaloa Magistrate’s court issued a court order preventing him from attending a memorial event. Front Line Defendersissued an appeal calling for an end to harassment and intimidation of the human rights defender, when he was summoned for questioning regarding his work by police and intelligence officers in August, July and May 2021.

Front Line Defenders is concerned by the use of the Counter-Terrorism division to target or question the human rights defender. It believes that the summons are part of a pattern of reprisals including arrests, interrogation and harassment of human rights defenders in Sri Lanka, which has a history of using counter terror laws and institutions against human rights activists, especially against Tamil and Muslim human rights defenders.

Front Line Defenders condemns the continued harassment of Sabharatnam Sivayoganathan and the use of anti-terror divisions of the Sri Lanka police to question and target the human rights defender. It calls on Sri Lankan authorities to cease the on-going harassment and to create an environment where all human rights defenders can work in safety and dignity.