Fr Amila Jeewantha Peiris had been at forefront of public protests against the Rajapaksa regime
Father Amila Jeewantha Peiris addresses an anti-government protest in Sri Lanka. (Photo: Amila Udagedera)
A Sri Lankan Catholic priest has appealed to the Supreme Court to prevent his impending arrest and protect his fundamental rights.
Father Amila Jeewantha Peiris, who has been a key figure during the protracted anti-government protests in the crisis-hit island nation, has expressed apprehension that police may want to arrest him on false charges.
The police had visited a church in the southern part of Ratnapura diocese claiming they had orders to arrest Father Jeewantha after a court issued a foreign travel ban on him.
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Over 1,600 Catholic priests, nuns and brothers have issued a statement against attempts to pressurize Father Jeewantha and other protesters.
Father Jeewantha has said that he actively contributed to the peaceful struggle to fulfill his responsibility as a citizen of the country.
Jinowa Rasanthi, a university student who worked with the Catholic priest, said some invisible hands were behind the attempts to arrest him but they have reposed their faith in the judiciary.
"The Sri Lankan government is using emergency regulations to harass and arbitrarily detain activists"
“Father Jeewantha always stood for non-violence and could never cause damage to public property,” Rasanthi said referring to accusations made against the priest.
The authorities arrested Dhaniz Ali, another prominent protester, while he was about to board an international flight from Colombo on July 26.
Unidentified men in civilian clothes abducted Veranga Pushpika, a former student activist and journalist, who had also been active in the anti-government protest.
Police have launched an investigation against Kayleigh "Kayz" Fraser, a British woman said to be actively involved in the protests, after the Department of Immigration confiscated her passport on Aug. 2.
Authorities said that she had brought disrepute to Sri Lanka and its security forces on the international stage.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the Sri Lankan government is using emergency regulations to harass and arbitrarily detain activists seeking political reform and accountability for the country's economic crisis.
"The government needs to end its repressive policies and practices and act urgently to address people’s basic needs, win public trust, and uphold the rule of law by holding those responsible to account,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asian director at HRW.
Shehan Malaka, an activist who was abducted for seeking justice for Easter attack victims, said there was a need to safeguard priests, nuns, activists, students and lawyers who were involved in anti-government protests.
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