The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated it was "deeply disappointed" by the decision to ban Parami Nileptha Ranasinghe from presenting on the state run television network, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC).
Earlier this month, Ranasinghe was informed by the producers at SLRC that she was banned with immediate effect from presenting her regular programs as well as entering the SLRC premises after she published a Facebook post allegedly criticising Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
"Journalists must be able to work without political intereference and infringement on their right to freedom of expression," the CPJ added in their tweet.
In a damning report, UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet highlighted that her office continues to receive allegations of "intimidation, monitoring and suveillance by security services" against journalist, human rights defenders and civil society representatives.
Rajapaksa, nicknamed ‘The Terminator”, oversaw the military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamils in the final phase of the armed conflict. During his tenure as Defence Secretary, reportedly oversaw the “white van commando,” a team of special operatives that used white vans to abduct and murder journalists.
Press freedom remains a concern on the island, where Tamil journalists in particular have faced reprisals for speaking out against rights abuses. They have frequently found themselves targeted with surveillance, threats, acts of violence, and even death. Sri Lanka is currently ranked 127th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders 2021 Press Freedom Index.