The National Authority for the Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witnesses is yet to take steps, despite the order issued by the Chairman of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating the Easter Sunday attacks and Court of Appeal Justice, Janak de Silva instructing to provide protection to Rishvin Ismath, the spokesperson for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka the Sunday Observer learnt.
Justice Silva issued this order on October 27, following an incident where Ismath was threatene within the Commission premises.
Ismath, an ex-Muslim who testified before the Parliamentary Committee to investigate the Easter Sunday attacks and the current Presidential Commission on the attack, is a key witness testifying against the terrorists. According to Ismath, he had received threats from Zahran and other extremists since 2016.
“In 2016, I first made a complaint against Zahran and other extremists, who threatened me. I met the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) officers and told them, but nothing happened. Since 2016, even though I had received several death threats there had not beena single case filed in court”, Ismath told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
The victim faced the latest incident on October 26, at the BMICH where the supporter of another suspect before the Commission, threatened Ismath.Rishvin Ismath had attended the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to cross-question the former leader of the Sri Lanka Jamathe Islami (SLJI) with the permission of the Commission.
His questions to the leader of the SLJI, mainly focussed on the plan to capture Sri Lanka through an armed struggle and establish an Islamic State, publishing Jihadist and extremist materials in Alhasanath, the official monthly magazine of the SLJI and also sending Sri Lankan Muslim youth for Jihadist fighting and training in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir.
“I was under continuous threats and harassment by extremists for years.
The recent threat at the very premises of the Commission probing the Easter attacks should not be taken lightly.
We, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka call upon the Government to take stern action against extremism to prevent another tragedy/catastrophe in the country,” Ismath said.
Another person in Kekirawa also threatened him on October 31, saying that his mother will be abused, said Ismath.