S. Jenita, the head of the Vavuniya of Families of the Disappeared, who was arrested by the Sri Lankan police as she attempted to stage a protest last week, has finally been released on bail.
Jenita's arrest came during Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to Vavuniya, where he attended a meeting at the Vavuniya Municipal Council. Together with other families of the disappeared, Jenita staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the municipal council, resulting in her arrest and the detention of another relative of a forcibly disappeared person.
Initially placed under remand until January 12th, the case was brought before the court, leading to the judge ordering Jenita's release on a bond of one hundred thousand rupees.
Addressing the media, Jenita expressed disappointment with the police's handling of their peaceful demonstration. She emphasized that despite seeking permission to meet the president and maintaining a non-violent approach, they were arrested in what she described as an indecent manner.
Jenita raised concerns about the treatment of the protesters, stating, "Even those who committed murders would not have been treated like this. This is disappointing for us. We see this as a violent act, suppressing the voices of justice."
The incident has sparked condemnation from across the North-East as Tamil families of the disappeared vehemently condemned the arbitrary arrest.
