Sri Lankan Judges are political animals?

Sri Lanka’s contrasting judicial decisions:

Sri Lankan court frees Tiger officials on bail Vs Journalist TISSANAYAGAM GETS 20 YEARS RIGOROUS IMPRISONMENT

Sri Lankan court frees Tiger officials on bail

(September 14, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A Sri Lankan court on Friday released on bail two members of the Tamil Tiger rebel group who gave themselves up a month before the military leadership of their movement was wiped out, officials said.

Court officials said former Tiger spokesman Velayudam Dayanidi, better known as Daya Master, and a top Tiger translator V.K. Pancheratnam were released on cash bail of 22,000 dollars each.

"The chief magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi asked them to report to the police every month and their passports were also impounded," the official said.

The two men surrendered to security forces in April as the Tigers faced their final battles before their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and other top members were killed in mid-May.

They have not been formally charged, but were being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The court official said police did not object to the two men being released on bail.

Sri Lanka claimed victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May, but some 300,000 civilians who fled the war zone are still being held in state-run camps.

The military says it wants more time to weed out any rebels who could still be mingling with the civilians in the refugee camps which the government describes as welfare villages.

TISSANAYAGAM GETS 20 YEARS RIGOROUS IMPRISONMENT

He was found guilty of aiding and abetting the incitement of communal feelings through the publication of a magazine in the English language between the period June 01, 2006 and June 01, 2007.

The Attorney General had filed charges against Mr. Tissanayagam under the Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Mr. Tissanayagam was charged with two counts – conspiracy to incite communal feelings and inciting communal feelings, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and was found guilty on both counts.

Accordingly, Deepali Wijesundera, Colombo High Court Judge sentenced him for 10 years, five years for each charge.

Mr. Tissanayagam was also found guilty of distribution the magazine, collecting money for the magazine, and thereby collecting money for terrorism. For these charges, he was sentenced to ten years under the Emergency Regulations.
-Sri Lanka Guardian