10 December 2020 04:31 pm
Detained Attorney-at-Law Hejaaz Hizbullah's lawyers filed a writ Petition before the Court of Appeal seeking access to Hizbullah.
When the matter was taken up today Romesh De Silva PC appearing on behalf of the Petitioner said that the lawyers have not had any access to Mr. Hizbulah since September.
He said they could not obtain instructions from Mr. Hizbullah as to what other remedies must be pursued with regard to his detention. President of the Court of Appeal Justice Arjun Obeysekara recused himself from hearing, stating that he had worked with Mr. Hizbullah at the Attorney Generals Department.
Accordingly the matter was fixed to be taken up before Justice Priyantha Fernando and Sobitha Rajakaruna on the 14 of December 2020.
The Petition states that the lawyers of Mr. Hizbullah were given access to him only on 4 occasions and officers of the Criminal Investigations Department were present on all occasions sitting in on the meetings between the Lawyers and Mr. Hizbullah.
The Petition states that the actions are a violations of Mr. Hizbullahs and his lawyers rights.
Mr. Hizbullah was arrested on the 14th of April 2020 and has been held in detention since. Romesh De Silva PC instructed by Sanath Wijeywardena appeared from the Petitioner.