Tissainayagam released from prison on bail

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 January 2010, 12:43 GMT]
Senior Journalist J.S Tissainayagam incarcerated for nearly twenty two months was released Wednesday morning on bail, legal sources in Colombo said. He was arrested on March 7, 2008 by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) under the Emergency Regulations (ER) and Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and charged for inciting communal hatred by writing articles to North Eastern Herald magazine. After trial the Colombo High Court convicted and sentenced him to twenty years rigorous imprisonment. Subsequently he filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence in the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal last Monday ordered that the accused be released on cash bail in a sum of Rs: 50,000/= and on condition that he should surrender his passport to the court till his appeal is finalized.

The court made that order on an application made by the Attorney General that he did not object to the release the accused on bail on medical grounds.

Tissanayagam was brought Wednesday to Hultsdorf court by the prison authorities as the bail order of the Court of Appeal was communicated to the Commissioner of Prisons.

Tissanayagam signed the bail application in court and was allowed to go home.

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