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Release Tiran Alles immediately!

Letter of Tiran's laywer, issued before the arrest (Pdf)

Tiran Alles, the well-known Sri Lankan businessman and owner of the publishing house Standard Newspapers Pvt. Ltd was arrested on the 30th May while he was undergoing treatment in a Colombo hospital. His publishing house printed the popular newspapers ‘Mawbima’ and ‘Sunday Standard’.(Tiran Alles has been freed)
Mawbima (Motherland), the Sinhala mainstream weekly newspaper was special in that it regularly published articles critical of corruption in government circles and against the military actions on the Tamil population in the country. The paper, which started in June 2006, had quickly reached a circulation of over a hundred thousand copies. Mawbima (and its English language sister paper) was known for its open and democratic character, as it gave space to all shades of political opinion in the country.

The government began its repressive measures against Mawbima by arresting Tamil journalist Parameswaree Munusamy, on the 24th Nov 2006, under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). She was detained 119 days without any charges being brought against her. On the 26th February financial director of the paper, Dushyantha Basnayake, a Sinhalese, was arrested, also under the PTA. He was detained again without charge for three months. The Government of Sri Lanka was forced to release them due to the intense campaigns carried out internationally by human rights and media organisations.

Despite this the ‘Mawbima’ paper continued to speak out against the gross violations of human rights by the government. On the 13th March year the government froze its bank accounts and then went on to freeze the bank accounts of all the business firms that had been supporting the paper. Due to this unbearable level of repressive measures the publication of both the Sinhala and English papers had to be stopped.
Tiran Alles was arrested yesterday, as the there were rumours that the Mawbima was going to start publishing again in June.
With the arrest of Tiran Alles the Government of Sri Lanka attempting to brutally repress the free expression of voices that challenge its war and its corruption.

We appeal to all the media and human rights organisations to immediately exert maximum pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to release Tiran Alles without delay.

We urge organisations and individuals to fax and email, not only the President of Sri Lanka but also the following European ministers who are at present in special positions to put pressure on the government of Sri Lanka to secure the release of Tiran Alles.

The President of Sri Lanka – Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse – fax: 0094 11 254 2919
The Secretary to the President – Mr. Lalith Weeratunge - 0094 11 244 6657

Rt. Hon Margaret Becket – the British Foreign minister who had a highly publicised meeting with Sri Lankan leaders in London recently.
Fax: 0044 20 7008 2144 or inside Britain 020 7008 2144 - private.office@fco.gov.uk

Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier the Foreign Minster of Germany (the country that presently holds the EU presidency)
Fax: 00 49 30-5000-3402

Dr. Bernard Kouchner the new Foreign Minister of France
To email please click on:
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/courrier/default.asp?lang=gb

Please send copies of all you’re faxed and letters and emails to:
imrv@humanrights.de

31.05.07