The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has found that Sri Lanka Customs violated the fundamental rights of Tamil author B. Piratheepan by continuing to detain two of his books imported from India, recommending their immediate release.
In its recommendation under Case No. HRC/KIL/031/26, the Commission examined the seizure of four Tamil-language books imported from Chennai on March 27, 2026.
Following assessments by the Arts Council of Sri Lanka and the State Literary Sub-Panel, two books, Bayangaravaathi and Cyanide, were released after being classified as works of fiction.
However, Customs continued to detain 75 copies of Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan and 147 copies of Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren.
The Commission found that the authorities had failed to establish sufficient grounds to justify the continued seizure under the Customs Ordinance and Section 120 of the Penal Code.
It observed that although certain passages could be considered offensive or disturbing, they did not demonstrate the direct incitement necessary to justify restrictions on publication.
The HRCSL concluded that the continued detention amounted to unnecessary and disproportionate prior censorship, violating the author’s constitutional right to freedom of expression and publication.
It also found violations of the rights to equality before the law, protection against discrimination based on language, and the freedom to enjoy and promote one’s culture and use one’s language.
The Commission recommended that Sri Lanka Customs immediately release all 222 detained copies of the two books. (Newswire)
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