Tamil lawmakers have denounced Sri Lanka’s Counter Terrorism and Investigation Division (CTID) summoning of respected Tamil journalist and human rights defender Kanapathipillai Kumanan for questioning, labelling it a blatant attempt to intimidate and silence independent reporting.

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has written to Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake announcing a hartal on Friday, to protest against the “military’s brutality that continues to date”, following the reported killing of a Tamil man last week.

Tha party demanded urgent action over the killing of 32-year-old Edirmanasingam Kapilraj, whose body was found in Muththaiyankaddu tank, Mullaitivu, after he was assaulted by Sri Lankan soldiers.

Hundreds of mourners, including Tamil parliamentarians, community leaders, and grieving relatives, gathered in Muththaiyankaddu, Mullaitivu, on Sunday to pay their final respects to 32-year-old Ethirmanasingham Kapilraj, who his family saw was killed after being attacked by Sri Lankan soldiers last week.