Tamil political prisoners appeal to minister demanding release

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 October 2009, 03:02 GMT]
Tamil political prisoners held in several prisons in the south for years without inquiry and without any recourse in courts under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations (ER) have started handing over individual appeals to the Justice Minister, Milinda Morogoda, demanding their release or to take legal action if there is evidence against them.

P. Sarvanantha, detained in Magazine Prison, Tuesday handed over his written appeal addressed to the Justice Minister through Colombo Additional District Judge, Kumari Abeyawardene, when he was produced in court.

More Tamil political prisoners are expected to submit their individual appeals to Justice Minister in the coming days through courts or human rights organizations.

Several hundred Tamil political prisoners are held in prisons without inquiry or without being charged in court. They frequently held fasting demanding their release or to charge them in court. But all attempts made by them in this regard have failed.