Activist and stand-up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya was arrested last month for allegedly insulting Buddhism

An international rights group has demanded the release of youth activist and stand-up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya, saying her detention shows rising intolerance that undermines human rights in Sri Lanka.

Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS, issued a statement on June 21 calling on the Sri Lankan government to respect the country’s international human rights obligations and drop all charges against Edirisooriya immediately.

Police arrested Edirisooriya on May 27 after she was accused of defaming Buddha and Buddhists for two jokes told during a comedy performance published on YouTube three days earlier.

An edited clip of the performance was circulated, resulting in a social media backlash.  She retracted the video the same day and publicly apologized.

She was accused of ridiculing Buddhist girls as “virgins” and saying “protecting their virginity is the biggest goal” for Buddhist-run schools.

Buddhist monks, critics and a section of the media accused her of showing a lack of understanding and disrespect for Buddhist philosophy and culture.

She was prevented from traveling abroad and arrested by police at Bandaranaike International Airport. The police initially refused her access to lawyers or her partner.

Despite her apology, online harassment and threats against her escalated, and the location of her residence was shared online.  She faced trolling, serious threats of violence, and rape.

She was charged with the deliberate and malicious intention of outraging religious feelings of any class of persons under the Sri Lankan Penal Code and the Computer Crimes Act.

She was denied bail on the basis that her release would result in “public disturbances” and was remanded until June 7. Her bail was then extended to June 21.

“The arrest of Nathasha Edirisooriya highlights the increasing intolerance in Sri Lanka towards freedom of expression, including satire. Her detention is a clear attack on artistic expression and a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The charges against her must be dropped immediately,” said David Kode, Advocacy and Campaigns chief at CIVICUS.

Nathasha Edirisooriya is one of the few women stand-up comedians in Sri Lanka. She has actively created and defined a space for herself as a feminist who addresses issues of gender, sex, chauvinism and misogyny, moral and religious hypocrisy, education, family life and mental health through her stand-up comedy, CIVICUS said.

She has also been part of the CIVICUS Youth Action Lab for grassroots Global South youth activists building resilient and sustainable movements for a more equitable world.  In 2021 she conducted some research titled “Decoding Sexual Harassment” to understand the instigation of sexual harassment in Sri Lanka.

CIVICUS has also expressed concerns about the use of the ICCPR Act against Edirisooriya, which among other provisions, criminalizes the advocacy of “national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.”

The group said no credible evidence has been presented to substantiate the charges.

CIVICUS has documented how the law has been misused over the years to criminalize activists,  stifle freedom of expression and detain and silence poets, writers and others.

“This is another example of the authorities’ blatant misuse of the ICCPR Act. It has been systematically misused to silence free speech and to keep individuals behind bars for long periods. The law must be amended so that it is not used to deter or discourage individuals from freely expressing their opinions,” added Kode.