Freedom Now, a rights organisation dedicated to the fight against arbitrary detention and associated human rights abuses, has filed a petition to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concerning Muslim poet, Ahnaf Jazeem. He has been under arrest for over 480 days under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) without charges.
Jazeem was detained on 16 May 2020 by Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Department for allegedly “promoting extremism and violence” to children. His arrest was largely based on an unofficial translation of one of Jazeem’s poems, called Navarasam. The petition notes how several Tamil literature experts and scholars noted a lack of incendiary language and therefore baseless detention of Jazeem.
The petition argues that Sri Lanka’s detention of Jazeem is related to the legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of expression, a direct violation of his rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
According to Freedom Now Legal Officer, Adam Lhedmat, “Ahnaf’s poetry should be celebrated, not condemned. His wrongful detention is indicative of Sri Lanka’s blatant misuse of anti-terrorism laws to criminalize peaceful expression. We are confident that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will conclude his fundamental human rights have been violated and he should be released immediately.”
In June 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the European Union (EU) to consider withdrawing preferential access to its markets, known as GSP+, unless the Sri Lankan government complies with its commitments, including repealing the PTA. The resolution also urged the release of Jazeem, as well as others who were arbitrarily detained under the Act.
Last month, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ordered for prison authorities to permit lawyers access to the poet.
Read full petition here.
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