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07 November , 2006 Deputy Pictures Editor, The Sunday Leader, Asoka Fernando was assaulted and taken into police custody by the Maharagama Police in the outskirts of Colombo on Tuesday afternoon (28). Fernando sustained minor injuries from the police assault and was released only the following afternoon (29) after being produced before the Gangodawila Magistrate for a purported criminal charge. Free Media Movement registers its condemnation of this unlawful behavior of the police offices concerned and violation of Asoka Fernando's rights as a journalist. Fernando was assaulted along with several villagers at a Buddhist temple in Pannipitiya and was among the only two who were arrested by the police for allegedly aiding a monk to set himself on fire, a charge Fernando has completely refuted in his recorded police statement. Around 4 pm on 28th November, a group of police personnel has entered the temple premises with some civilians. Fernando has captured, according to Mr. Fernando images of heated exchanges between the police and villagers and policemen breaking a padlock to force open a door. When police officers about to harass him he showed his media accreditation ID to the Superintend of Police and claimed he had a right to take photographs as an accredited photo-journalist. Although police authorities on many occasions have assured journalist organization that media accreditation ID will be respected, disregarding his accreditation police officers present snatched Asoka's digital camera worth Rs. 200,00 and smashed it on the ground. He was assaulted badly by the police soon afterwards and arrested. This is a clear violation basic human rights and freedom of information rights. FMM request the Inspector General of Police to take disciplinary action against these police personal who assaulted photo-journalist Asoka Fernando and smashed his camera. Police duty is to protect peoples rights not to violates them. FMM would like to reiterate that the duty of the Police is to protect peoples rights and not to violates them.
No. 237/22, Wijeya Kumaratunga Road, Colombo - 05., Email : fmm@diamond.lanka.net, www.freemediasrilanka.org |