Reporters Without Borders Welcomes Tamil Journalist Tissanayagam’s Release

Reporters without Borders welcomes Tamil journalist J. S. Tissainayagam’s release on bail on Wdnesday, pending the outcome of his appeal against a 20-year jail sentence on a trumped-up charge of supporting terrorism. His release was ordered on 11 January by a Colombo appeal court .

“This is very good news,” his lawyer, M.A. Sumanthiran, told today to Reporters Without Borders. “He left prison with his moral strengthened. And as we have good grounds for the appeal, I am fairly optimistic.”

Arrested in March 2008 and convicted in August 2009, Tissainayagam spent more than 21 months in detention, the first few weeks of which were particularly tough.

Tissainayagam’s lawyer confirmed that his client had to pay 500 US dollars in bail and surrender his passport after the Colombo appeal court ruled on 11 January that he should be released provisionally.

“Tissainayagam’s release is a source of great joy for the many people who worked to prove his innocence,” Reporters Without Borders said. “But this is just the first step. This renowned Tamil journalist must be fully cleared and allowed to resume a normal life.”

Tissainayagam’s detention was condemned by many foreign governments and leaders including US President Barack Obama, who referred to him as persecuted journalist on 3 May.

In October, Tissainayagam became the first person to be awarded the Peter Mackler Prize for journalistic courage and integrity. The prize commemorates veteran Agence France-Presse reporter and editor Peter Mackler, who died last year.

- Asian Tribune -