Speaking to The Morning, recently released poet and teacher Ahnaf Jazeem described the torture he faced during his imprisonment by Sri Lankan security forces over his Tamil poetry, as he called for all prisoners detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act to be released.

Jazeem, who was initially arrested on 16 May 2020, was taken to Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) base in Vavuniya, where he was interrogated over his Tamil poetry.

“They said that I have Christian books, Hindu books, and Islam books, but that I do not own Buddhist books,” he said.

“They inquired about that and asked for a reason. I said that I have read Buddhist books – two or three books – but I do not own them. The officers said because I did not own the Buddhist books, that I am a terrorist.”

He went on to details his ordeal at the hands of Sri Lankan security forces, which included threats made to the girl he was arranged to marry, handcuffing him whilst he slept, false confessions and transferring him to different institutions across the island.

“When they were doing inquiries, they said I could not have a lawyer and that under the PTA, they could keep me for one or two years,” he added. “They also said they could even keep me for 10 years without taking me to court.”

Sri Lanka’s PTA has for decades come under international scrutiny, with human rights organisations and Tamils calling for it to be repealed. Tamils and Muslims continue to be arbitrarily detained under the legislation.

“They should release everybody under the PTA,” said Jazeem. “They just arrest people and then frame them. We cannot live as long as the PTA is there.”

“In this country, you cannot speak or write,” he concluded. “Writing is my hobby. If you cannot write, then you cannot live. We cannot live like cattle.”

See his full interview with The Morning here.