(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: Former journalist abducted from his home M. Lalith Seneviratne, a former journalist with the weekly Sinhala-language newspaper “Hiru”, was abducted from his home in Aturugiriya at around 9.30 p.m. (local time) on 5 February 2007. The editor of “Hiru”, Rohitha Bhashana, fled the country several weeks […]
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release:
Former journalist abducted from his home
M. Lalith Seneviratne, a former journalist with the weekly Sinhala-language newspaper “Hiru”, was abducted from his home in Aturugiriya at around 9.30 p.m. (local time) on 5 February 2007. The editor of “Hiru”, Rohitha Bhashana, fled the country several weeks earlier after receiving death threats.
According to Seneviratne’s wife, a group of five to seven persons dressed in plainclothes visited their home and took him away. When he shouted to his wife, sensing danger, one member of the group stopped the wife from intervening, saying that they were from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Seneviratne was not allowed to speak to his wife or dress in proper clothes before leaving the house. His wife, Kanthi, filed a report at the Aturugiriya police station concerning his abduction.
Aturugiriya Police told FMM that the CID has confirmed that they have not taken anyone by the name of Lalith Seneviratne into custody for questioning.
FMM is seriously concerned for his safety, since at the time of this release, five hours after his abduction, no law enforcement authority had admitted to taking him into custody, nor had there been any news available about his whereabouts.
FMM requests that the police investigate this matter without delay.
At the same time, FMM requests that human rights and democratic defenders exert pressure on authorities to investigate this abduction immediately and to make sure that Seneviratne is released unharmed or presented before a court of law.
