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Sri Lanka frees arrested human rights activists | Sri Lanka frees arrested human rights activists |
(about 11 hours later) | |
Sri Lankan authorities have released two prominent human rights activists who were detained on Sunday under anti-terrorism laws. | Sri Lankan authorities have released two prominent human rights activists who were detained on Sunday under anti-terrorism laws. |
The arrests of Catholic priest Father Praveen Mahesan and Ruki Fernando had provoked domestic and international criticism. | The arrests of Catholic priest Father Praveen Mahesan and Ruki Fernando had provoked domestic and international criticism. |
The authorities said they had been held under suspicion of fostering communal disharmony. | The authorities said they had been held under suspicion of fostering communal disharmony. |
Both men had been working with families of disappeared people. | Both men had been working with families of disappeared people. |
Sri Lanka's army defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009. | Sri Lanka's army defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009. |
Since then there have been allegations of mass civilian deaths at the end of the conflict. | Since then there have been allegations of mass civilian deaths at the end of the conflict. |
US concern | |
Civil society representatives and police confirmed to the BBC that Mr Fernando and Father Praveen were freed late on Tuesday night after a release order was granted by a magistrate. | |
They were arrested in northern Sri Lanka and held for 48 hours, the authorities said. | |
Their supporters have described them as campaigners for human rights. | |
Speaking to BBC Sinhala after his release, Mr Fernando said he had not been released on bail as he had not been charged. | |
He stressed he remained committed to fighting for human rights. | |
"I think the main reason we were released relatively quickly was the attention we received from people inside Sri Lanka, but also from people outside," he said. | |
"Many other people who are still in detention, if they were to get this kind of attention, I think many of them would find themselves free soon." | |
The US has expressed concerned about the detention of several well-known Sri Lankan human rights activists over the past week. | The US has expressed concerned about the detention of several well-known Sri Lankan human rights activists over the past week. |
A female campaigner against political disappearances, who was arrested on Thursday, remains in detention under the same laws. | A female campaigner against political disappearances, who was arrested on Thursday, remains in detention under the same laws. |
Jeyakumari Balendran's son went missing after the war and she and her daughter had become vocal campaigners on the issue of disappearances. | Jeyakumari Balendran's son went missing after the war and she and her daughter had become vocal campaigners on the issue of disappearances. |
The government accuses her of sheltering a man they say is trying to revive the Tamil Tiger movement. | The government accuses her of sheltering a man they say is trying to revive the Tamil Tiger movement. |
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