The Attorney General informed the Court of Appeal on Tuesday (15) that arrangements can be made for lawyers representing Hejaaz Hizbullah, who is currently being held in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attacks, to meet their client. Accordingly, Hizbullah will be meeting up with his legal counsels at 2.30 pm today (16).
The petition filed by attorney-at-law Chalana Perera, seeking a court order on the Director of CID to grant permission for Hizbullah to access his lawyers, was taken up before Appeals Court Justices Priyantha Fernando and Sobitha Rajakaruna yesterday morning.
Following the announcement of the Attorney General’s decision, the legal matter was concluded by the Appeals Court bench.
The petition in question alleged that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has not granted access for Hizbullah’s lawyers to meet him since September, however, when the petition was heard yesterday, the Attorney General denied the accusations.
Meanwhile, Appeals Court President Arjuna Obeysekara recused himself from considering the petition on December 10, citing personal reasons.
The human rights lawyer has been held at the CID headquarters in Colombo since his arrest on 14 April 2020, with restricted access to his lawyers, family and wife.
Hizbullah was arrested on charges of allegedly “aiding and abetting” one of the bombers involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Many, including the Euroipean Union , Amenesty International and nearly 150 Sri Lankan lawyers have raised concerns over Hejaaz Hizbullah’s detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) without sufficient evidence.
In October, the case filed against Hizbullah at the Fort Magistrate’s Court was rescheduled to February 21 next year due to the pandemic situation in the country.
Related News: On Hejaaz Hizbullah: The latest victim of Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act
On Hejaaz Hizbullah: The latest victim of Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act
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