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Jail term for Sri Lankan editor Jail term for Sri Lankan editor
(about 10 hours later)
The high court in Sri Lanka has sentenced a prominent Tamil journalist to 20 years in prison after convicting him under anti-terrorism laws.The high court in Sri Lanka has sentenced a prominent Tamil journalist to 20 years in prison after convicting him under anti-terrorism laws.
JS Tissainayagam was found guilty of "causing communal disharmony".JS Tissainayagam was found guilty of "causing communal disharmony".
Mr Tissainayagam was arrested in 2008 and charged with inciting violence in articles in his magazine, the North Eastern Monthly, which is now closed.Mr Tissainayagam was arrested in 2008 and charged with inciting violence in articles in his magazine, the North Eastern Monthly, which is now closed.
He was also accused of receiving funds from the Tamil Tigers rebels. He denied supporting violence.He was also accused of receiving funds from the Tamil Tigers rebels. He denied supporting violence.
Mr Tissainayagam's lawyer says he will appeal. Mr Tissainayagam's lawyer says he will appeal and that his client never sought to arouse hatred.
The world's largest organisation of journalists, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), has condemned the judgement - which also sentences Mr Tissainayagam to hard labour while in prison - and described it as "disproportionate, brutal and inhumane".
'Widespread attention''Widespread attention'
Mr Tissainayagam was found guilty of causing "racial hatred" and "supporting terrorism", a court official said.Mr Tissainayagam was found guilty of causing "racial hatred" and "supporting terrorism", a court official said.
This man has been victimised for no more than holding the government to account Aidan WhiteIFJ
The court found that he had received money from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to fund his website, the official said.The court found that he had received money from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to fund his website, the official said.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says Mr Tissainayagam insists he does not believe in violence. One of the articles accused the government of shelling a coastal town and trying to drive out its population in the war which was going on at the time, says the BBC's Charles Haviland, in Colombo.
The Tamil journalist was held for more than five months before he was charged with furthering terrorism by collecting funds for a magazine he published, and of inciting ethnically-based violence in two of its articles. The Tamil journalist has already been in detention for a year-and-a-half and was one of a handful of journalists mentioned in May by US President Barack Obama, who called them "emblematic examples" of reporters jailed for their work.
One of the pieces accused the government of shelling an eastern town and trying to drive out its population in the war which was going on at the time, our correspondent adds. The Sri Lankan government said Mr Obama had been misinformed.
The case has received widespread attention in Sri Lanka. International rights group have been campaigning for his release - they say Sri Lanka is using anti-terror laws to silence peaceful critics. 'Victimised'
Campaign groups say the country is fast becoming one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. The case of JS Tissainayagam has received widespread attention in Sri Lanka, and international rights group have been campaigning for his release - they say Sri Lanka is using anti-terror laws to silence peaceful critics.
Our correspondent says since the government's military victory over the Tamil Tigers in May, it has regularly denounced its critics. The general secretary of the IFJ, Aidan White, said the sentence was a "chilling reminder of how dangerous Sri Lanka has become for independent journalists".
"This man has been victimised for no more than holding the government to account and giving voice to legitimate, if critical opinion," he said, calling for the journalist's immediate release.
Since the government's military victory over the Tamil Tigers in May, it has regularly denounced its critics.
Last week it described an exiled group, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka, as a "front" for the Tigers after it circulated a video which it said showed army soldiers killing unarmed Tamils.Last week it described an exiled group, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka, as a "front" for the Tigers after it circulated a video which it said showed army soldiers killing unarmed Tamils.
The authorities said the video was fabricated.The authorities said the video was fabricated.