(Image courtesy: Rajeevkanth Facebook Post)
Rajkumar Rajeevkanth, an activist from the People's Struggle Alliance—a breakaway group from the Aragalaya—was arrested earlier today in Trincomalee by Sri Lankan police. He was participating in protests organized by the Tamil Families of the Disappeared, who were staging demonstrations across the North-East to mark the International Day of the Disappeared.
Despite being alone and unarmed, Rajeevkanth was forcibly escorted by police, including members of the riot squad.
Footage shows Rajeevkanth being forced into a police jeep from the occupying Trincomalee Police Station before being taken away. Posting on his personal Facebook account in Tamil, Rajeevkanth expressed his long-standing support for the Families of the Disappeared. "When this protest crossed 2000 days, I joined many who marched from Colombo. I even participated in last month’s protest," he wrote. "Arrests are not uncommon, and I have been facing legal cases for more than two years."
Rajeevkanth also shared his negative experiences in prison. Regarding today’s arrest, he noted that he had a verbal confrontation with the police when he asserted his right to protest. "When they tried to attack me, I stepped back. They later arrested me, claiming that I was the one who tried to attack them."
He highlighted that this is not the first time false allegations have been made against him in an attempt to secure his arrest. He credited his mother for preventing him from being jailed for 14 days, as she refused to leave his side until he was released. He also thanked his lawyers, Aishwariya and Prashanthini, who supported him during his ordeal.
