Ahnaf JazeemBy Pamodi WaravitaAttorney-at-Law (AAL) Sanjaya Wilson Jayasekera, the lawyer of detained poet Ahnaf Jazeem, has claimed that the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) produced the poet in court on 12 June without informing the lawyer, depriving the lawyer of an opportunity to make any submissions before the court in Jazeem’s defence. Jazeem was produced at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on 12 June, but Jayasekera said he was not communicated the court hearing date beforehand and was only informed about Jazeem’s appearance in court when he had inquired about it. Jayasekera further added that the non-communication of the court date to the lawyers or the family prior to Jazeem being produced in court is unacceptable. Currently, Jazeem is being held at the Colombo Remand Prison and will be produced before Court again on 22 June. Jazeem was arrested in connection to his Tamil language poetry anthology, titled Navarasam (Nine Emotions), which the authorities have alleged promoted “extremist” ideology.

Source: The Nation June 14, 2021 18:56 UTC