The European Union (EU) delegation in Sri Lanka has written to Sri Lanka's authorities to "express deep concerns" about the detention of a lawyer under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
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"We reiterate need to review counter-terror legislation to be in line with Sri Lanka's international human rights obligations," the delegation tweeted.
Hejaaz Hizbullah, a prominent Muslim lawyer, was arrested on April 14 2020, under Sri Lanka's much criticised PTA, alongside six others, over the alleged involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks a year go.
The PTA, which facilitates detentions without charge, has not been repealed yet, despite Sri Lanka's commitment to do so under GSP+ and the UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1.
Sri Lanka lost access to the trade concession due to its abysmal human rights record in 2010, but the granting of access in 2017 was met with widespread criticism from human rights organisations and Tamil civil society.
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