Today on the ‘The Debrief’, Roel Raymond speaks to Amnesty International ‘Prisoner of Conscience’, author Shakthika Sathkumara, the first Sri Lankan to be charged under the controversial ICCPR Act of 2007.
Sathkumara was arrested under the ‘Yahapalanaya’ government in April 2019 after he published a short story, ‘Ardha’ that drew the ire of a certain section of society, and his case is test to the freedom of expression guaranteed in the Constitution.
Shakithika discusses with Roar the role of a writer, the value of alternative voices, his experiences in prison — and if he regrets publishing the story.