The Professional Web Journalists’ Association (PWJA) has also stated that they firmly believe that arrests and criminal investigations must be conducted strictly in accordance with the procedure established by law.
The PWJA’s statement comes hours after former BASL Chairman – Saliya Pieris P.C.had severely criticised the conduct of the police with regard to parading of suspects before media, getting them to give voice clips and sharing those clips on media and social media.
The PWJA statement further notes : “It is our association’s observation that the forced extraction of ‘voice cuts’ from suspects through coercion or influence after their arrest, and the subsequent release of those clips to the media and social media, occurs with the tacit approval of the Sri Lanka Police.”
“Even though the finger is often pointed at the media and social media, we have a reasonable suspicion that in many instances, these video clips are being released by the Police Department itself. If this is the case, it is a serious offence for law enforcement agencies to propagate such footage while violating the law and professional ethics themselves,” the statement adds.
The statement issued by the PWJA is as follows :
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