Take Action for Banned Books Week 2020

Drop All Charges Against Shakthika Sathkumara

Shakthika Sathkumara is an award‐winning Sri Lankan writer who was arrested on April 1, 2019 when he went to a police station to give a statement in response to complaints made by Buddhist monks regarding a short story he wrote and shared on his Facebook profile. The fictional story concerned life in a Buddhist temple and allegedly hinted at child sexual abuse.

He was charged under Article 291(B) of the Penal Code of Sri Lanka and Section 3(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act (ICCPR Act), both of which deal with propagating racial and religious hatred that incites discrimination, hostility, and violence. After spending four months in prison, he was released on bail by the Kurunegala High Court on August 5, 2019.

The charges against him remain pending. If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison. The next hearing on his case is scheduled for September 22, 2020. Amnesty had declared Shakthika a prisoner of conscience when he was in prison, detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and has called for all charges against him to be dropped.

The ICCPR Act was enacted by the Sri Lankan government to implement the rights to freedom of expression and of thought, conscience and religion. The prosecution of Shakthika Sathkumara is a misuse of an Act that is supposed to protect, not violate, human rights.

The misuse of the ICCPR Act has created a chilling effect in Sri Lanka where the authorities are extremely sensitive to perceived insults to Buddhism.

In May 2019, a woman was arrested under the ICCPR Act for wearing a blouse with an image which complainants claimed was a Buddhist symbol, but was actually a ship’s wheel. In June 2019, columnist Kusal Perera was threatened with arrest under the ICCPR Act for writing about growing Sinhala Buddhist extremism in Sri Lanka.

Amnesty International is calling on the Sri Lankan government to stop using the ICCPR Act to harass, threaten, and prosecute writers and activists for peacefully expressing their opinions.

Take action online now and sign this petition immediately. You can also write and send a physical letter using the information below:

Ambassador Rodney Perera

Embassy of Sri Lanka

3025 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington DC 20008

Updated on Aug 24, 2020.

⬇ Make Your Voice Heard ⬇

Ambassador

Ravinatha

Arya

Sri Lanka

Dear Ambassador Perera,

Shakthika Sathkumara is an award-winning Sri Lankan writer arrested on April 1, 2019 for simply writing and sharing a short story. Under Section 3(1) of ICCPR Act and Art. 291(B) of the Penal Code of Sri Lanka, he faces ten years in prison.  While it is a relief that Shakthika Sathkumara was granted bail by Kurunegala High Court on 5 August 2019, he is still at risk of indictment until the charges are dropped.

The misuse of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act to detain and prosecute writers for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression is a clear violation of international law as well as an infringement of the right to freedom of thought and expression guaranteed by the constitution of Sri Lanka. The very law that is meant to protect people’s human rights in Sri Lanka, including freedom of expression, is now being misused to violate them. Please drop all charges against Shakthika Sathkumara immediately and cease using the ICCPR Act to threaten, harass, and prosecute writers and activists for peacefully expressing their opinions.

Sincerely,

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