By Roy Denish.
Achala Seneviratne arrest in Trincomalee raises claims of retaliation linked to her human rights litigation against state officials.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Prominent human rights attorney Achala Seneviratne was arrested in Trincomalee following a dispute with police that legal advocates and supporters have characterized as retaliation for her high-profile litigation against state officials.
Seneviratne and a client were taken into custody at the Trincomalee Police Station after submitting detailed statements regarding an ongoing legal conflict that originated in January. Both were subsequently produced before the local magistrate and released on bail.
The arrest stems from a January 27 court proceeding in which a client represented by Seneviratne questioned a police officer’s testimony at the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court. The following day, police filed reports naming Seneviratne and her client as suspects over alleged interference with official duties. Within 48 hours, internal courtroom closed-circuit television footage of the exchange appeared on social media, prompting accusations of institutional collusion.
Legal rights defenders and local observers have raised concerns over the handling of the case, noting that police sought the suspects’ arrest before formally recording their statements.
Seneviratne has a long history of representing plaintiffs in sensitive human rights cases, including the decade-long litigation concerning the abduction and disappearance of eleven youths. Her recent legal efforts contributed to a Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court directive ordering criminal investigators to name a former navy commander as a suspect in the disappearance case.
Critics, including legal reform advocates, have also faulted the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) for its muted response to the professional hurdles and subsequent arrest faced by Seneviratne. BASL’s leadership has faced mounting pressure from civil society groups demanding stronger protections for attorneys facing retaliation in the course of their professional duties.
Law enforcement and judicial authorities have defended the procedural validity of the police actions, maintaining that standard protocols were followed in relation to the alleged obstruction of justice. Investigations into the broader circumstances surrounding the arrest remain ongoing.
