Year-long detention of lawyer, poet sparks concern in Sri Lanka

Spotlight on minority rights, and ‘draconian’ anti-terrorism law modelled on South Africa’s Apartheid-era legislation

Daily-wage agricultural labourerAbdul Ghafoor Muhammadhu Jazeem, in Sri Lanka’s northern Mannar district, had one life goal. To ensure his children have a good education. Despite toiling for years to realise the dream, he could not be more dejected today. On May 16, 2020, the police arrested his eldest son, Ahnaf Jazeem, a 26-year-old teacher and Tamil poet, based on allegations that his poetry collection, promoting “religious extremism”, was circulated among his students in Puttalam in the North Western Province, where he was employed. Mr. Ahnaf Jazeem was arrested under the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) — that rights groups deem draconian and want replaced — and has been in custody for a year now. His case, like that of prominent Muslim lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah — also in detention for a year — has brought to focus growing fears over minority rights in Sri Lanka, and old concerns about the 40-year-old anti-terrorism law.