Mr. Tissainayagam is detained under PTA since March 2008

JS Tissainayagam told Colombo High Court that he handed over a written statement, in Tamil, to a police officer on the officer's request.

Therefore, he does not accept his own confession, Mr. Tissainayagam said.

Mr. Tissainayagam is charged by the Attorney General (AG) under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

'Provoking racism'

He is accused of trying to discredit the government and expressing racist opinions in articles published in North Eastern monthly in 2006.

The editor of the Outreach Lanka website and a columnist for Sunday Times, JS Tissainayagam, was detained by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) since 07 March 2008.

Making a statement at the court on Friday, he rejected accusations of having links with a terrorist organiosation.

Mr. Tissainayagam said he worked for the welfare of families of those abducted by the LTTE, EPRLF and Indian Peace Keeping force (IPKF).

London based human rights group Amnesty International (AI) has accused Sri Lanka government of breaching international covenants on civil and political rights in detaining the Tamil journalist.

International human rights and press freedom watchdogs have called on the government to release the journalist.