அநீதிக்கும் அக்கிரமங்களுக்கும் எதிரான மக்களின் குரல் – வார உரைகல்..

Complaint to UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression Mr. M.I. Rahamathulla (Sri Lanka)
LST case ref: COL-FOE-2011-00 9th June 2011

Information Relating to the Victim

Mr. M.I. Rahamathulla is a 56 year old, Sri Lankan national, bearing National Identity Card No. 560014562V. He is the father of six children aged 30, 28, 22, 18, 16, and 14. His two oldest daughters are married, the other 4 children is live with Mr. Rahamathulla. He is also responsible for his 11 year old grandson.

Mr. Rahamathulla is the Chief Editor of the ‘Vaara Ureikal’ newspaper – the only provincial newspaper in the Eastern Region of Sri Lanka. Mr. Rahamathulla has over 30 years experience as a journalist. In 2005 he established the Vaara Ureikal weekly newspaper in Kattankudy. Throughout, Mr. Rahamathulla has campaigned against local governmental corruption and worked to expose malpractices in the Kattankudy and Batticaloa areas. Mr. Rahamathulla employs no staff and is solely responsible for financing and publishing each issue of Vaara Ureikal which operates from his residence at No. 43, Abrar Mosque Road, New Kattankudy.6

The Incident and its Background

Mr. Rahamathulla has been subjected to several threats and attacks since he began Vaara Ureikal in 2005. He believes that the attacks are directly linked to his fight against corruption and the misuse of state resources in Kattankudy and Batticaloa. Continue reading →