High Court In Colombo last Monday (31)sentenced the Editor of the NorthEastern Tamil Monthly Magazine Mr.J.S Tissanayagam who was under custody since last year 20 years of Hard Labour Imprisonment under the Prevention Of Terrorism Act.He was found guilty of three Charges leveled against him under the Act and became the First Journalist in Sri Lanka to be convicted by a Court in Sri Lanka.
Tissanayagam was arrested by the Police on March last year charging that he was having links with the LTTE Rebels who fought for a seperate state in Sri Lanka for nearly two decades.He was writing articles to his Magazine at the time of his arrest.
Western Governments and Press Freedom Groups condemning his arrest.He was offered the Minimum Sentence under the Terrorism Prevention Act.