Balendra Jeyakumari released on bail

Tamil activist Balendra Jeyakumari, who was arrested for allegedly harbouring terror suspects in her home, has been released on bail with strict conditions by the Colombo Additional Magistrate.

Jeyakumari, who was in remand custody for 362 days, was ordered released on a personal bail of Rs 200,000 when her case was taken up today.

She had been prohibited from leaving the country by the Colombo Additional Magistrate Aruni Atigala, who also ordered the defendant to appear at the police station closest to her residence on the last Sunday of every month.

Jeyakumari was ordered to appear before the court on July 07, when the case is taken up again.

Jeyakumari, an advocate for families of the disappeared, and her 13 year old daughter Vidushika were arrested by the police on 13 March, 2014. They was placed under arrest on suspicion of aiding and abetting K.P. Selvanayagam alias Gopi, a former LTTE cadre who shot a police officer.

Vidushika was later released by authorities while rights groups and certain organizations had called for the release of Ms Balendra Jeyakumari and for her to be reunited with her daughter.

The arrests followed both Balendra and Vidushika Jeyakumari being featured in media photographs and videos when British Prime Minister Mr David Cameron visited northern Sri Lanka during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2013.