Sri Lanka: Police target media amid freedom of expression crackdown

Sri Lankan authorities have intensified a crackdown on media freedom through the unlawful summoning of investigative journalist Tharindu Jayawardena and a police request to revoke the broadcasting license of the Hiru Media Network. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its Sri Lankan affiliates, the Federation of Media Employees' Trade Unions (FMETU), Free Media Movement (FMM), and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association (SLWJA), in condemning these attempts to suppress independent reporting and calls on the National People's Power government to cease its use of the police as a tool for political repression.

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya inspect a guard of honour during the country's Police Day celebrations in Colombo on September 3, 2025. Credit: Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP

On December 26, 2025, local police summoned Jayawardena, a journalist and member of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka's (HRCSL) Sub-Committee on Freedom of Expression, to Gampola Police Station to provide a statement regarding his investigative reporting into fraud and corruption at the Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex. The inquiry stemmed from a complaint alleging Jayawardena had made 'defamatory remarks' regarding the misuse of public funds in his reporting.

In a landmark statement released on February 3, the HRCSL expressed "deep concern about emerging threats to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka", and identified the summons as a direct breach of a circular which requires officers to provide clear reasons for any legal notice. The HRCSL said police have "no jurisdiction whatsoever" to investigate defamation claims, which are exclusively dealt with by civil courts since the Penal Code was amended in 2002.

The same week on December 24, police also requested the country's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission to revoke the broadcasting license of the Hiru Media Network, following its coverage of an Embilipitiya cannabis raid, which included allegations of a police assault and ties between the plantation's ownership and individuals linked to the NPP administration. In a formal response, the network rejected the police claims as a 'serious threat to media independence', stating that the footage in question was verified evidence.

These incidents come amid increased criticism of Sri Lanka's controversial Online Safety Act (OSA), passed in 2024, in the lead-up to the March 5 local and provincial elections. The legislation, allegedly designed to regulate online content and enhance user safety, has been condemned by international watchdogs, including the IFJ, for its potential to challenge constitutional rights protects with the HRCSL, noting it fails to comply with Supreme Court determinations and is being increasingly used to 'criminalise' civil disputes. According to the IFJ's affiliates, the OSA has created a "chilling effect" across Sri Lanka's 25 districts, particularly for provincial journalists who report on local corruption. In its statement, the HRCSL recommended a moratorium on the Act's use, urging political leaders to refrain from filing criminal complaints over statements that do not constitute an offence under Sri Lankan law.

The FMETU said: "The FMETU calls upon the Government of Sri Lanka and the relevant Ministry of Mass Media to amend the Online Safety Act to bring it into full alignment with international human rights standards, ensuring it cannot be used to suppress legitimate news reporting; strip the Online Safety Commission of its quasi-judicial powers and ensure that any restrictions on speech are handled through an independent and transparent judiciary; cease the use of the CID and other investigative bodies to harass journalists for their social media activity or digital news broadcasts; and support a framework of media self-regulation and digital literacy rather than punitive legislation to combat misinformation."

The FMM said:"The Government of Sri Lanka must give serious consideration to [the HRCSL] statement and to the recommendations emphasised therein. This is a moment in which the accountability of the Sri Lankan government is being questioned. Accordingly, the Free Media Movement urges the government to take immediate steps to implement the recommendations set out in this statement."

The SLWJA said: "We urge the government to refrain from these shameless attempts to enforce media repression through the expansion of a police-state approach, and instead to create an environment that genuinely protects press freedom, editorial independence, and journalistic ethics in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, we call upon all individuals and organisations who value freedom of expression to stand together against the growing pressure imposed on media freedom in Sri Lanka through repressive laws and state interference."

The IFJ said: "Press freedom cannot exist in a climate where journalists face unlawful harassment and escalating threats from authorities for critical reporting in the public interest. With the local elections approaching, the Sri Lankan government must take immediate action to curb this alarming trend by reforming the draconian Online Safety Act and ensuring the police are not weaponised to silence dissent and independent journalism."