Detained poet Ahnaf Jazeem granted bail after 578 days

Puttalam High Court today (15) today granted bail to the detained poet and teacher Ahnaf Jazeem who was taken into custody over Easter Sunday attacks by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) under Prevention Terrorism Act (PTA) provisions. 

He has been in jail for nearly two years (578 days) based on the investigations carried out by the TID on poetry books he had published through an organization that is under investigation by the police unit on the attacks.

The bail was granted after Attorney General informed Supreme Court last week during the Fundamental Rights petition hearing that he had no objection to granting bail to the detained poet. 

The fundamental rights case filed in defence of Poet and Teacher Ahnaf Jazeem was taken up for support for leave to proceed on December 8  in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The matter was taken up before a bench constituting Justice S. Thurairaja, PC, Justice Kumuduni Wickremasinghe and Justice Arjuna Obesekera.

When the matter was taken up, Mr. Nerin Pulle, PC, DSG, informed Court that the indictment has been filed against Ahnaf in the Puttalam High Court, and that the Attorney General is not objecting for Bail being granted for Ahnaf, when the case will be called on the 15 December in Puttalam HC.

Senior Counsel for Ahnaf stated to the court that he is ready to support the matter, however, would do it on a later date after bail is considered to Ahnaf, given that AG does not object to him being granted bail.

The Court recorded the fact that AG is not objecting for Bail being granted to Ahnaf by the High Court when the case will be called on the 15 December and ordered that, if any issue in this regard, the Petitioner is entitled to file a motion.

Thus the case was fixed for Support on 08 March 2022 for leave to proceed and interim reliefs. In granting this date, the Court considered the fact that there will not be an urgency to support the matter in the event Ahnaf is granted bail by the High Court.

The young poet’s arrest was widely condemned by international human rights organizations and free speech campaigners demanding the immediate release of the poet.