Mawbima financial director was arrested under anti-terror laws

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accused the government of misusing the country's anti-terrorism law to crack down on critical media.

"Some government members are determined to get revenge on the paper and have insulted Sri Lanka's journalists," RSF said in a statement.

A journalist working for Mawbima, Munusamy Parameshwaree, was released without charge after having kept under anti-terror laws for over three months.

Some government members are determined to get revenge on the paper and have insulted Sri Lanka's journalists RSF

Financial director of the group publishing Mawbima (Sinhala) and Sunday Standard (English) weeklies, Dushantha Basanayake, was arrested at his office by anti-terrorism officers on 26 February.

Basanayake is detained since then but is yet to be charged by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) who arrested him.

The government has also frozen bank accounts of Standard Newspaper Private Limited (SNPL).

Mawbima and Sunday Standard newspapers were forced to suspend its publication as a result.

The RSF has also strongly protested alleged remarks about journalists by Health minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The minister has reportedly said that journalists were behaving like "mad dogs" and should be "vaccinated" as dogs were against rabies.