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Friday, Mar 23, 2007
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Detained Sri Lankan journalist freed

B. Muralidhar Reddy

— PHOTO: AFP

Sri Lankan journalist Munusami Parameshwari after her release in Colombo on Thursday.

COLOMBO: The journalist community in Sri Lanka heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday after the police set free a woman journalist detained for nearly four months on charges of suspected links with the Tamil Tigers.

The release came after journalist Munusami Parameshwari moved a fundamental rights petition before the Supreme Court and the police decided not to press the charges.

For weeks after her detention, media and human rights organisations in the country have been pressing the Government to either officially charge or release her.

She was held in custody for four months without any charge being brought against her after she was taken into custody on November 22.

On Wednesday, when her petition came up before the apex court, the court was informed that her release order has been sent to the magistrate court. Despite that, the police held Ms. Parameshwari for another 24 hours in custody. In a statement issued here, the Sri Lanka-based Free Media Movement said, "She was subject to and a victim of a persistent campaign of hate by Government Ministers, select media and ultra-nationalist voices who blatantly paraded lies and baseless allegations in a reprehensible attempt to mould public opinion against her."

Separately, at least three soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army and two police personnel were killed in continuing incidents of violence in the north and east.

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