Human rights ambassadors from eight European countries have expressed “deep concern” over the continued detention of Hejaaz Hizbullah, a lawyer and a leading human rights activist in Sri Lanka, reported Colombopage.

Issuing a joint statement, they urged the Sri Lankan government to respect the rights of Hejaaz Hizbullah.

Envoys from the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Finland have issued the statement.

The statement said they were concerned about the continued detention of the lawyer, and the usage of anti-terrorism laws by the Sri Lankan government to incarcerate him on speech-related offenses. 

“Mr. Hizbullah is a leading advocate of the rights of people from minority communities including Muslims in Sri Lanka, and a vocal critic of discriminatory policies,” the European Human Rights Ambassadors said.

Hizbullah was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police (CID) on April 14, 2020, pursuant to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) on charges of allegedly 'aiding and abetting one of the suicide bombers involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The remark came at a time when a resolution against Sri Lanka is pending in the ongoing 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.