Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have called on Sri Lanka's authorities to "immediately stop" the harassment of Tamil journalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan who has been summoned by the Counter Terrorism and Investigation Department (CTID) to appear for an “inquiry” later this week.
In a statement, the CPJ said that the Sri Lankan police should "cease their harassment and ensure that journalists can work freely without fear of reprisal."
"Using counter-terrorism powers to target journalists over their legitimate reporting is an abuse of police authority and a violation of press freedom," Beh Lih Ti, CPJ's Regional Director added.
While the reason for the summons is unclear, the harassment of Kumanan is not new.
Kumanan has been reporting on protests, land grabs, human rights abuses and environmental destruction. Over recent months, Kumanan has been documenting the excavations of the mass graves in Chemmani.
