Supreme Court yesterday (4th) ordered prison officials that lawyers representing Anaf Jazeem, a Muslim poet who has been remanded in police custody for 10 months on charges of aiding and abetting Muslim extremism through literary creations, be allowed to meet him.
The order was issued when he filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court yesterday seeking his immediate release after being held in police custody for 10 months without being produced in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petition was taken up before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Murdu Fernando, Justice Yasantha Kodagoda and Shiran Gunaratne.
President’s Counsel K. Kana-Ishwaran appearing for the petitioner. told the court that his client Ahnaf Jazeem had never been produced before a magistrate’s court since May this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that he went to see his client for advice on the application filed in the Supreme Court, but he was not allowed to meet his client.
Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, appearing for the Attorney General, told the Supreme Court that the suspect was currently in court custody and would be produced before the Magistrate’s Court after the detention order was finalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Additional Solicitor General further stated that the Attorney General has filed limited objections against this fundamental rights petition.
After considering the facts, the jury ordered the prison officials to allow his lawyers to meet the remanded Anaf Jazeem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petition was ordered to be reconsidered on September 08.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petition filed by the lawyer on behalf of the poet Anaf Jazeem has named the Director, Terrorism Investigation Division, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General as respondents.<\/p>\n