Sri Lanka protestor who stormed state-run TV station out on bail
ECONOMYNEXT – A Sri Lankan protestor who was arrested for forcibly entering a state-run television station has been released on bail.
Dhaniz Ali, an activist linked to Sri Lanka’s youth-led Aragalaya (Struggle) protest movement, was arrested on July 27 aboard an aircraft at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) due to depart to Dubai. Ali was part of a group of protestors who had stormed the state-run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) on July 13.
He was accused of interrupting the SLRC’s scheduled programming that day and demanding the producers there that the TV station only air content approved by the Aragalaya.
Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa confirmed that Ali was released on bail on Monday August 15 on a cash bail of 25,000 rupees and two personal bails of 500,000 rupees each.
Thalduwa said Ali had been remanded till August 26 for another incident that took place in Colombo Fort when protestors entered the President’s House on July 09.
He was produced in the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on Monday before Colombo Chief Magistrate Nandana Amarasinghe.
Ali has been ordered to provide a statement at the Colombo Garden Police. (Colombo/Aug15/2022)
