Thread by @sarojpathi

#Thread: A Timeline of events since #HumanRights lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah arrested by the police Criminal Investigation Dept on 14 April 2020 on suspicion of "aiding & abetting" of Easter Sunday suicide bomber Inshaf Ibrahim. Read -bbc.com/sinhala/sri-la… #SriLanka @Justice4Hejaaz

(2) Prior to his arrest, his home & legal chambers were searched by the police. Mr Hizbullah is widely credited with convincing the Supreme Court to strike down the purported dissolution of parliament by the then Prez @MaithripalaS in Oct 2018. Read more - bbc.com/sinhala/sri-la…

(3) An outspoken activist on minority rights, he co-authored an influential paper by leading #Muslim professionals questioning #SriLanka Govt's forced cremation of Muslim #COVID19 dead. He also engaged w/ UN special procedures mandate holders on d issue. bbc.co.uk/news/world-asi…

CID claimed Mr Hizbullah was arrested in connection w/ phone calls made to suicide bomber Inshaf Ibrahim. However, formal report filed by the CID on 19 Aug 2020 in the court reveal that he only had 14 phone calls w/ Inshaf Ibrahim over a period of 5 years. (4) @welikalaa #Thread

(5) CID was aware that Mr Hizbullah appeared 4 Ibrahim family business in 2 civil cases. He took over d cases in 2015. Prior to 2015, d cases were handled by Ali Sabry, PC, a personal lawyer of Prez @GotabayaR, who later became #SriLanka Justice Minister. bbc.com/sinhala/sri-la…

In a detailed article in "Samabima," journalist & #HumanRights activist Jayani Abeysekara describes how Hejaaz Hisbullah represented oppressed #Muslim community after the attacks in Aluthgama & on behalf of Dr Shafi Sahabeen samabima.com/?p=20874 @SoooMD @AmanthaP @amalab (6)

Making a statement in parliament earlier this year, Public Security Minister @ReAdSarath said Mr Hizbullah has "spoken 3 times w/ a suicide bomber" prior to his arrest. "He is also married to Egyptian woman who has links w/ a terrorist group." #SriLanka (7)

(8) CID also claimed that as a member & ex-president of a charity called Save the Pearls, Mr. Hizbullah was involved in the radicalization of 24 street children from Colombo, to whom the charity provided scholarships. However, no other member of the charity has been arrested.

Mr Mahil Dole, former Head of Counter Terrorism at the State Intelligence Services, has sworn an Affidavit stating that the charity’s activities were entirely above board. None of the members of the Board of Management of the Islamic school have been taken into custody, too. (9)

#Thread: 4 children who received scholarships claimed that CID officers separated them from their parents, took them to the CID premises where they were threatened. The children have filed FR petitions w/ SC saying they were forced 2 sign statements. More -tinyurl.com/uxcjhbmz

(11) Principal of d School was only taken into custody one day prior to the CID informing the Magistrate that Mr Hizbullah would be charged. Al-Zuhriya Arabic College, Putthalam is currently functioning after having been closed since March 2020 due to #COVID19 Pandemic. #SriLanka

Two teachers who were arrested after the indictment against Mr Hizbullah & have filed FR cases in the SC claiming they were coerced to give false testimony against Mr Hizbullah, and that they did not. They deny even knowing Hejaaz. Read - bbc.com/sinhala/sri-la… @munza14 (12)

(13) CID claimed that Save the Pearls received assistance indirectly from “Qatar Charity” through “Islamic Relief Fund," a local NGO. CID & Minister @ReAdSarath also claim that Qatar Charity is a banned terrorism funder. #SriLanka #HumanRights #Thread

Qatar Charity, which is closely linked to Quatari Govt, isn't banned by #SriLanka, & it presently undertakes several projects in partnership with United Nations & other global agencies. It also openly functions from its offices in Colombo-03 to date. @UNSriLanka (14)

(15) Watch: Speaking w/ BBC Sinhala earlier this year, Baroness Helena Kennedy, Director, @IBAHRI expressed serious concern over d continuous detention of #HumanRights lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah, among others, & urged #SriLanka Govt to adhere to due process. bbc.com/sinhala/sri-la…

On 14 July, 15 months after his arrest, @amnesty declared Hejaaz Hizbullah a "Prisoner of Conscience."
The international #HumanRights organisation demanded he be released immediately. tinyurl.com/emj2b8nn #SriLanka @amnestysasia @jmccdon @hrw @Abihabib #Thread (16)

(17) Indictment against Mr Hizbullah has been served on 15 July. It is solely based on one statement said tb made by a student at d Arabic College. The child in concern has stated that Mr Hizbullah identified himself as one who owned a university in Batticaloa. #SriLanka #Muslim

European Parliament recently adopted a motion drawing attention to abuses under d Prevention of Terrorism Act in #SriLanka. The resolution specifically mentioned Hejaaz Hizbullah & Ahnaf Jazeem, a poet, who are both arbitrarily detained under d act. hrw.org/news/2021/06/1… @hrw

(19) 11 int'l organisations called on #SriLanka Govt to release Hejaaz Hizbullah & others detained under PTA. The statement points out that police have withdrawn the charges against Mr Hizbullah of "aiding & abetting Inshaf Ahamed"#HumanRights #Thread

https://twitter.com/amnestysasia/status/1420223250269831171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1420223250269831171%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fsinhala%2Fsri-lanka-57993300

Responding to int'l organisations, #lka Public Security Minister told BBC Sinhala that Mr Hizbullah wasn't arrested a political purpose. Describing the statement as "NGO talks," he stressed that the Govt would "take every action to stop terrorism." bbc.com/sinhala/sri-la… (20)