Lohan GunaweeraI really, really hope this innocent poet gets to go home today. The case against him will be taken up today at Puttalam High Court. It's been 578 days since his arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Ahnaf was arrested because the TID "discovered" his collection of poems during their investigation into 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. This is how they had reported about the poet and his book to Colombo Fort Magistrate Court in June 2020.
As promised, the TID produced a "psychiatrist's report" based on a "translation" of Navarasam that aimed at proving that the book promotes violence, hatred toward "perceived injustice to Islamic community" and more https://twitter.com/_vajra/status/1399929842947092487
Vajra Chandrasekera on Twitter
“Posting the full psychiatrist's report with source: there are five pages, which are pages 447-451 in this PDF with all the documents filed with Ahnaf Jazeem's FR Petition. (See this same scribd account for more documentation.) https://t.co/7NDLn6p2kv First two pages:”
In reality, there was nothing to be "discovered" about Navarasam, a book that was published back in 2017, and available in leading bookshops and libraries around the country, including the Colombo Public Library.
Navarasam by Ahnaf Jazeem and Translations As Filed in The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka | PDF | Courage | Muhammad
Published herewith to the world are the documents marked as P3, which is the poetry book Navarasam by Poet Ahnaf Jazeem and two translations marked as P3A & P3B, all filed with Fundamental Rights case No. SC FRA 114/2021, filed on behalf of the Poet on 16th April (and online on 10th April) 2021, in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The Petition too is available elsewhere here. The Poet is detained under Police custody since 16th May 2020 purportedly under draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Multiple translations by renowned translators have proved that it is absolutely impossible to interpret Ahnaf's book in the way the "psychiatrist's report" and the TID claimed. On the contrary, the book denounces terrorism, promotes peace!: https://freeahnaf.wordpress.com/
#FreeAhnaf #lka
#FreeAhnaf #lka
Extremely harsh bail conditions have been imposed on the poet including three sureties of Rs.500,000/- each! Due to technicalities he has to spend yet another night in prison. Authorities continue to treat him as a major suspect. Read:
https://twitter.com/sanjayawilson/status/1471114313662357504
#FreeAhnaf #lka
https://twitter.com/sanjayawilson/status/1471114313662357504
#FreeAhnaf #lka
