Writer Shakthika Sathkumara, who has been accused of authoring a controversial short story has been granted bail by the Kurunegala High Court today (Aug 5).
Sathkumara was arrested in April after a group of Buddhist monks had filed a complaint against the author, claiming the story was derogatory to the Buddhist faith.
The author had been charged under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which meant that he could be granted bail only by a High Court.
However, rights groups including Amnesty International had voiced opposition against the arrest of the short story writer, calling him a "prisoner of conscience".
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