The Convener of IUSF who has been released challenges the government
Wasantha Mudalige, the convener of the Inter-University Student Federation(IUSF), who was released after 167 days in prison, said that the government is being asked to be ready to respond to the people’s power. Because the people of the country have not yet received the right to live freely, and the struggle will continue as long as proper solutions to the country’s problems are found and will not bow down to a rogue government before the power of the people.
Speaking to the media, Wasantha Mudalige said this, yesterday evening, on February 1, 2023, when he came out of the Colombo Magistrate’s Court after being released on bail in three cases filed against him.
The student leader was in custody for 167 days in total after he was arrested on August 18th, last year.
Wasantha Mudalige further speaking to the media said, “Students appearing for the Advanced Level examination these days cannot appear for the examination freely because of the electrical failure, the people of the country do not have the means to eat three meals, shared their experiences with thousands of prisoners when we were in prison and how they lived, the salary problem of public servants has not been solved. But the government is charging taxes after taxes. The people of the country are being pushed to the bottom. That’s why we are not ready to kneel before this government.”
“We are telling the government that today is another beginning of the struggle. We will show the government what people’s power means in the future. The government wanted to arrest us and kill us if possible. All those plans of them we will reveal with names of those people. We will take all necessary measures against the officials who imprisoned us for months under the Prevention of Terrorism Act,” said Wasantha Mudalige. the convener of the Inter-University Student Federation(IUSF) after 167 days of freedom in custody.” He said.
Wasantha Mudalige, the convener of the Inter-University Student Federation, who has been remanded under the Prevention of Terrorism Act was acquitted of the charges filed under the PTA and released on the 31st of January.
Delivering the order, Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis mentioned that the accused, who was detained since 22 August 2022, was not found to have committed any offices under the PTA.
Wasantha Mudalige, who stated that the government had to take a step back and release him due to the continuous struggle of the entire Sri Lanka against the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and these arbitrary arrests, the struggle for the right to live against the burning problems, economic problems and difficult conditions of the people in the country is not over yet and for that we must regroup from today, he said.
Wasantha recalled that in the ongoing struggle launched by all civil organizations, trade unions, and mass organizations in Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Basil Rajapaksa was forced to kneel before the people’s power and go home. He declared that the struggle against the status quo will start afresh today and show the power of the people in the future.
The lawyers who represented Wasantha Mudalige on 31st January said, Mudalige should be released as there is no evidence against him to be remanded under the PTA.
Taking those facts into consideration and based on the available evidence, the Magistrate ordered to release Wasantha Mudalige.
The Magistrate emphasized that it has not been revealed that the suspect committed violent acts or directed violent acts or gave instructions for the same.
The magistrate’s order states that Gemunu Wijeratne’s statement that Mudalige exchanged money with foreign terrorist organizations is an undisclosed fact without evidence and it is just a statement. Also, it was confirmed in the court that there was no evidence that Wasantha Mudalige made any statement that would raise racism or religious extremism.
The magistrate mentioned that the critical statement made by a person called Motivation Appachchi about the actions of the inter-university student body in the struggle were mere statements.
The Magistrate has also mentioned that some facts were created by misusing the Prevention of Terrorism Act to detain Wasantha Mudalige for a long time.
Taking these facts into consideration, the magistrate has emphasized that he does not have the legal capacity to further remand Wasantha Mudalige.
