Press freedom under fire, says HRCSL

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has expressed serious concern over what it describes as growing threats to freedom of expression in the country, particularly the targeting of journalists through police investigations into alleged defamation.

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In a statement, the Commission cited the recent summoning of journalist Tharindu Jayawardena for a police inquiry without disclosure of reasons, later revealed to be linked to complaints over his reporting on alleged corruption, involving public funds. The HRCSL said the failure to inform him of the reasons for the summons violated a circular issued by the Inspector General of Police in July 2025.

Full text of HRCSL statement: The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) is deeply concerned about emerging threats to the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka, and particularly the freedom of journalists to engage in their profession without interference. It is particularly disturbed by a trend in which law enforcement officials have launched investigations into allegedly defamatory speech, including by journalists. In a recent egregious example, Mr. Tharindu Jayawardena, a journalist and member of the Commission’s Sub-Committee on the Freedom of Expression, was summoned for a police inquiry without proper disclosure of the reasons for such summoning. It later transpired that the summoning was due to a complaint that Mr. Jayawardena had made allegedly defamatory remarks in his publications about corruption in the use of public funds. The Commission also notes that any failure of the police to inform a person of the reasons for summoning such person is a breach of Circular RTM 101/CRTM 61 issued by the Inspector General of Police on 2 July 2025 directing all investigating officers to inform persons of the reasons for summoning them.