Need for judicial accountability in Natasha Edirisuriya case

THE Supreme Court compelled the former Officer-in-Charge of the Cyber Crime and Intelligence Analysis Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to tender a written apology to comedian Natasha Edirisuriya for her arrest under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act.

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The ruling marks a significant moment in the country's ongoing struggle to reconcile the enforcement of law with the protection of fundamental rights. Yet, while the apology is symbolically important, it falls far short of addressing the deeper institutional failures that this case has laid bare.

In May 2023, Edirisuriya was arrested over allegations of “disrupting religious harmony” stemming from a comedy performance. The CID informed the Colombo Magistrate's Court that she was being investigated under the ICCPR Act and provisions of the Penal Code. Bruno Divakara, the former owner of the social media platform that published Edirisuriya's performance, was also arrested. Both individuals spent weeks in custody before being granted bail.