Sri Lankan authorities detain Lanka-e-News editor Sandaruwan Senadheera

March 12, 2026, Chennai—Sri Lankan authorities should immediately release Sandaruwan Senadheera, editor of the exile news website Lanka-e-News, and ensure any legal proceedings against him follow due process and do not undermine press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

Police detained Senadheera after he arrived at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport on February 11 and transferred him to the Criminal Investigation Department, according to multiple news reports. He was due to appear in court on Thursday.

Senadheera’s detention relates to a long-running contempt of court case linked to reporting on the violent assault of journalist Upali Tennakoon in 2009, those reports said.

“The detention of Sandaruwan Senadheera is a de facto attack on press freedom in Sri Lanka and will have a chilling effect on public interest reporting,” CPJ Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder. “Sri Lankan authorities should immediately release Senadheera and ensure that any legal proceedings against him respect due process and do not criminalize legitimate journalism.”

In 2016, Sri Lankan authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Senadheera for alleged contempt of court. A magistrate ruled that Lanka-e-News’ publication of a photograph identifying a suspect in the attack on Tennakoon could have interfered with an identification parade.

Senadheera had travelled to Sri Lanka from England, where he has lived in exile for 16 years, to seek Ayurvedic treatment for his poor health, reported Lanka-e-News, adding he did so at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake. 

He fled Sri Lanka after colleagues at Lanka-e-News faced threats and attacks for their work, including the 2010 disappearance of contributor Prageeth Ekneligoda.

The Criminal Investigation Department did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.