(Translated By Akitha Wijayasinghe)
The Court of Appeal allowed lawyers today (15) to have a private discussion with Hejaaz Hizbullah, a lawyer who has been in custody for about eight months.
When the case was taken up in the Court of Appeal today, the Attorney General’s Department informed the court that they agreed to allow the lawyers to discuss with Mr. Hizbullah. The case was taken up before justices Priyantha Fernando and Sobhitha Rajakaruna.
Hizbullah was arrested by the CID on 14th April, 2020 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and has been detained ever since. His lawyers had told the court that no reason was given when he was arrested.
At a press conference during that time, a police spokesman said that he had been arrested because of the evidence found against him during investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
His lawyers had told the court that he had not been given the opportunity to seek legal assistance properly and that he had been given limited access to his lawyers, that too under the supervision of a CID officer.
Several parties, including bar associations, local organizations and international organizations, have issued statements regarding his arrest.
