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Sri Lankan court extends detention of Jeyakumari

Tamil disappearances activist Balendran Jeyakumariy has had her detention extended by a court in Colombo on Tuesday after a request from Sri Lanka’s anti-terrorism police, reports Colombo Mirror.

The campaigner, who was detained by Sri Lankan security forces ahead of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka in March 2014, will continue to be held in custody until March 10.

Earlier this month, her daughter Vipoosika had written to Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena calling for her mother to be released.

Both Vipoosika and Ms Jeyakumari were detained on March 13 2014, by Sri Lanka’s anti-terror police under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Vipoosika was later released, however, her mother was transferred to Boosa prison, notorious for its endemic use of torture and sexual violence against Tamil detainees.

Ms Jeyakumari has now been detained for 349 days.

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