Tissainayagam is in detention for one year

Amnesty issued the appeal at a vigil outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London to mark the continuing detention of the journalist Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissanaiyagam.

use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act

Many other international pressure groups took part in fridays vigil.

“The treatment of Tissainayagam and the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against him have set an alarming precedent in efforts to silence independent voices and criticism in Sri Lanka, especially in regard to reporting on the conduct of the war in Sri Lanka,” French press freedom organisation RSF said in a statement issued on Friday.

Protests in Colombo demanding the release of Tissanayagam

He was arrested in March last year on charges of inciting racial disharmony after writing newspaper articles critical of the government.

Amnesty International called on the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels to stop the continuing harassment of journalists and media workers.

climate of impunity

Amnesty International’s Sri Lanka researcher, Yolanda Foster, said
“Sri Lanka's climate of impunity for attacks on the media has made it impossible to get an accurate impartial picture of what is happening in the country. By threatening journalists with the risk of arrest, and failing to protect them from attack, the government is failing its citizens.”

His trial has been repeatedly postponed and serious questions have been raised as to whether he will get a fair trial Amnesty International

A year ago Tissainayagam, a journalist for the Sri Lankan Sunday Times and the North Eastern Herald magazine, was taken into custody by the Terrorist Investigation Department of the Police.

Amnesty International say that he was arrested for composing a number of articles critical of the government.

prisoner of conscience

"His trial has been repeatedly postponed and serious questions have been raised as to whether he will get a fair trial." says the Amnesty International.

The pressure group believes Tissainayagam is a prisoner of conscience and is calling for his unconditional release.

Since 2006 at least 14 media workers have been killed and hundreds of others harassed and attacked by both sides of the conflict. More than 20 have fled the country in response to death threats.

	Vigil in London

Tissainayagam was detained after he went to inquire about the whereabouts of his colleague, writer and publisher N. Jasikaran and his wife Valarmathi who were arrested by the police.

He was subsequently charged “causing or commissioning the act of violence, racial disharmony” through his articles in the North Eastern Herald.

"The writing and publication of the magazine occurred during the period of the Ceasefire Agreement, where the Government made a commitment not to detain or arrest anyone under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. On this basis alone, the indictments should not have been served" says Yolanda Foster of Amnesty International.