2ND LEAD (Adds video)

Hunger-striking 62-year-old TPP’s health worsens

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 July 2019, 16:23 GMT]
Thevathasan Kanagasabai, the former Director of the Tamil unit of the ‘National Film Corporation’ whom the judiciary of the unitary state of genocidal Sri Lanka had sentenced to life under the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), has been on a dry hunger strike since Monday. The health condition of 62-year-old activist has worsened as he has been fasting without food and water, fellow prisoners said. Unable to afford the expenses to a proper lawyer, Mr Thevathasan was defending himself during the cases. The Tamil political prisoner did not have a chance to prepare evidence on his behalf as he was under detention for several years under the PTA. Now, he has appealed against the verdicts demanding bail, enabling him to prepare for his appeal or released through a political decision.

The SL Judiciary has been passing judgements based on false confessions, which the accused had been forced to sign under the duress involving torture. The PTA enables the judiciary to use such confessions.

Mr Thevathasan was sentenced with a life term in addition to another punishment of 20 years imprisonment in 2017.

Rev. Fr. S.V.B. Mangalarajah, the president of the Justice & Peace Commission in Jaffna, addressed the press in Jaffna on Friday urging political mobilisation and immediate action from the politicians.



Mr Thevarajah has been victimised under false allegations for which he didn’t have a chance to defend himself, Fr Mangalarajah said.

Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) was given a presidential pardon and released. However, Tamil political prisoners who have been languishing in the prisons for more than ten years have not been accorded the same treatment, the human rights activist said.

Related Articles:
10.04.17   Colombo wants discarded confessions obtained through torture..
29.03.17   Genocidal Colombo sentences 60-year-old Tamil activist to 20..


Chronology: