A Sri Lankan Naval officer has been summoned by the Mullaitivu magistrate court over the threatening of leading Tamil journalist, Shanmugam Thavaseelan.

On 7 April 2019, Thaavaseelan was covering a rally held by the Tamil Families of the Disappeared in Mullaitivu. During the protest, an unidentified individual was filmed and threatened the families of the disappeared and members of the press.

The Families of the Disappeared have continued to protest and demand an account for their loved ones, many of whom were last seen in military custody during the final stages of the armed conflict. In the last six years of demonstrations, over 160 demonstrators have died without knowing the fate of their loved ones.

Thaavaseelan intervened to question the individual on his identity and why he was filming the demonstration on his phone. After this questioning the individual fled and was later apprehended by protesters, upon which he admitted he was a naval officer.

Mullaitivu police did not arrive at the scene despite requests to come. The Naval office subsequently filed a case with Mullaitivu Police against Thaavaseelan under false pretenses which led to his arrest. Thaavaseelan was later released on bail after public outcry.

Locals described the case against Thaavaseelan as “frivolous and devoid of merit and nothing but an act of vendetta”.