British MPs have welcomed the issuing of an arrest warrant for a Sri Lankan brigadier who was filmed motioning a death threat to Tamil protestors in 2018.
The Westminster Magistrates Court issued an arrest warrant for Brigadier Priyanka Fernando of the Sri Lankan army earlier this week, after finding him guilty of committing public order offences whilst stationed in London.
Fernando was found guilty of violating sections 5 and 4A of the Public Order Act, with the court stating that his actions were threatening, caused harassment, and that he intended them to be so.
“The [All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils] welcomes this development and the clear message that such intimidation is not welcome on our streets,” said Paul Scully MP, chair of the cross-party group.
“Officials cannot be allowed to act with impunity on our streets, particularly not under the guise of diplomatic protection,” he said.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
