The fast launched by a group of Tamil political prisoners in Colombo Magazine prison demanding the release of prisoners arrested and detained for political reasons marks seven days today (13).
The fast is attended by inmates S. Udayasivam, U. Umasuthan, M. Parthiban, L. Imbaraj, Y. Robinson, R. Sayanthan, P. Naguleswaran, S. Sudaharan, U. Sathiskumar, S. Sasithan, R. Vevekanandan, Y. Dudley and L. Ajanthan.
The health condition of the fasting prisoners has deteriorated very seriously, relatives who met these inmates on the International Day for Prisoners’ Justice told media.
Despite many promises by the previous good governance regime as well as former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa regarding the release of those arrested and detained for a long time on political grounds, including the victims of the war in the North, none of those promises have been fulfilled to date, they pointed out.
Some of the arrestees on charges of being in the LTTE organisation were reported to be those who were forcibly recruited to the terrorist movement at the age of 08 – 09, and some prisoners have been in custody for almost three decades with or without being prosecuted.
Relatives of those detained engaged in a fast in front of the Northern Province Governor’s Office in Jaffna yesterday (12), extending support to those engaged in a fast in Colombo. They demanded the Governor of the Northern Province to immediately intervene in releasing their loved ones who are being detained under many provisions, including those of the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
MIAP
