Lanka urged to halt harassment of photojournalist following government probe

(Jurist.org) The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday called upon the Sri Lankan authorities to put an immediate end to the government's alleged harassment of photojournalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan, after a police notice obtained by the organisation revealed that Kumanan had been summoned by the counter-terrorism police for questioning.

- 

The summons comes in the wake of Kumanan’s extensive documentation of mass grave excavations in the country’s northern Chemmani and Kokkuthuduvai sites, which CPJ and other rights groups say have made him a target of repeated government intimidation.

“Sri Lanka police must immediately drop their summons of Kanapathipillai Kumanan, cease their harassment, and ensure that journalists can work freely without fear of reprisal,” CPJ Regional Director for the Asia-Pacific, Beh Lih Yi, stated. “Using counter-terrorism powers to target journalists over their legitimate reporting is an abuse of police authority and a violation of press freedom.”