Attorney-at-Law Rushdhie Habeeb, issuing a statement on behalf of MP Rishad Bathiudeen and Riyaj Bathiudeen, says the arrest of the brothers is ‘politically motivated.’
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had taken the All Ceylon Makkal Congress leader and his brother into custody early this morning for allegedly aiding and abetting the suicide bombers who carried through the terror attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019.
The arrest came days after the second anniversary of the deadly blasts commemorated island-wide on April 21.
According to the police, the brothers were arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The duo is under interrogation on a 72-hour detention order obtained by the CID pursuant to Article 6(1) of the PTA.
Attorney Habeeb went on to allege that the arrest is “a racially revengeful process to punish the political leadership of the Muslims, which had nothing to do with 21/4, for the dastardly acts of some Muslim youths who were widely alleged, as having been used as pawns by foreign powers.”
He said: “No reasons for the arrest had been given at the time of their arrest by those who conducted the mid-night raid. We are shocked that those representing the democratic state should begin this process in violation of the law which requires the persons arrested to be informed of the reasons at the time of the arrest or to uphold the principle of the presumption of innocence.”
The legal counsel stressed that Rishad and Riyaj Bathiudeen would have appeared before the CID had they been noticed to do so. “There was no need to have demonstrated, any show of force to the rest of the family or to those around.”
Further, Attorney Rushdhie pointed out the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) which probed the terror attacks, having evaluated the evidence, found no evidence to prove that any of the Bathiudeens had aided or abetted the suicide bombers in the Easter Sunday bombings.
“Their arrest without any justifiable material is in violation of the rule of law,” Attorney Habeeb said further.
