The UK’s High Commissioner Sarah Hulton met with Sri Lankan Public Security Minister Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara and discussed the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). During their meeting, they talked about reforms to the PTA, reforms to Sri Lankan policing, and how to increase diversity and representation in the country. There were talks of increasing public security.

Instead of reforming the PTA, many NGOs, individuals, and the European Parliament have called to completely abolish or repeal it.

Justice Minister Ali Sabry said that it was unlikely to ever be abolished. He did say that he and the President Rajapaksa agreed that parts of the PTA which were outdated needed to be revisited and they had formed a subcommittee to do this. Sabry justified his reasoning by saying he won’t cater to the international community when he claims the PTA protects national security. He used 2019’s Easter bombings and the Civil War as examples of why he and the current government want to keep the PTA which has unlawfully detained countless people.

The full interview and video with Justice Minister Ali Sabry are here.

PTA detained poet Ahnaf Jazeem’s mother was able to see him for the first time since he was unlawfully arrested over a year ago. Their October 9 meeting was short and supervised, limited to only ten minutes. In September, his mother had sent a written letter to the PTA Advisory Board asking for his release.

While Jazeem, human rights lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah and others remain unlawfully detained under the PTA, Rishad Bathiudeen has been granted bail. The former parliamentarian was arrested this April with cases regarding the 2019 Easter bombings and also the death of a 16 year old domestic maid at his home in Colombo. In exchange for his release, he may not travel outside the country, his passport has been confiscated, and Rs. 10 million rupees were paid.

On October 14, as Bathiudeen was permitted bail, Hizbullah was not. Hizbullah’s daughter took her first steps while he remained unlawfully detained in prison.