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: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Sri Lanka high court to review legality of opposition candidate's arrest

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

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[JURIST] Sri Lanka's Supreme Court agreed on Friday to consider a petition questioning the legality of the arrest of opposition presidential candidate and former general Sarath Fonseka. The petition was filed by Fonseka's wife. Also Friday, street protests against Fonseka's arrest continued for a third day. Lawyers marched silently in Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, clad in black ceremonial robes. Eight people were reportedly injured in a clash between the protesters and police, as the protesters exited the Supreme Court. The Sri Lankan Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) announced Monday that Fonseka was arrested "in connection with certain fraudulent acts and other military offences." Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa alleges that Fonseka was planning a coup. Human Rights groups have expressed concern that the decision to try Fonseka in a military court will deprive him of "due process." On Tuesday, Rajapaksa dissolved Parliament and called for early parliamentary elections. It is believed that Rajapaksa is trying to harness momentum from the presidential election in January, in which he was re-elected, to gain more seats in parliament for his political party, Freedom Alliance. Last week, 37 people, most of them military officers, were arrested in connection to an alleged assassination attempt against Rajapaksa. The Sri Lankan Supreme Court ruled last week that Rajapaksa's second term will begin in November. The apparent victor in January's elections, Rajapaksa defeated Fonseka by an official margin of 18 points, winning re-election to a second term in office. Fonseka has disputed the results, saying violence and vote-counting irregularities invalidated the outcome.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 12, 2010 (boomark / email).