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De-radicalisation process for Easter Sunday suspects and others
The government will introduce a de-radicalisation process for terror suspects who hold violent extremist ideologies and are currently detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
They include those arrested in relation to the Easter Sunday attacks. Under the programme, the authorities will look into all those in detention for holding violent extremist views, those who have undergone weapons training and/or have engaged in violent activities. They will be divided into three categories, a senior official source said.
They include the Easter Sunday suspects and those arrested for other extremist activities.
Accordingly, legal action will be filed against those who have committed serious crimes. The second group will include persons who aren’t accused of serious crimes, but are connected to extremist activities. The third group is persons who have not participated in such activities but who have embraced extremist views.
The third group will be put through the de-radicalisation programme first, the source said.
The new regulations will be promulgated under Section 27-4B of the PTA. It will enable the Government to de-radicalise and rehabilitate suspects held in detention under the PTA.
Attorney General Dappula de Livera, this week, approved the draft regulations, subject to certain amendments.
Up until now, only terrorist suspects who had surrendered to the security forces have undergone rehabilitation. New laws were introduced for this purpose under the Emergency Regulations in 2009 and the PTA in 2011.
The decision on whether or not a suspect can undergo the de-radicalisation programme will depend on what has been unearthed during the investigation conducted into the suspect activities and the extent of his involvement in extremist activities.