State Obliged to Guarantee Douglas Devananda’s Safety, Says Suren Raghavan

30-Dec-2025

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Former Member of Parliament Suren Raghavan stated that the detention of Douglas Devananda at the Mahara Prison poses a serious threat to his life, emphasizing that ensuring his security is the responsibility of the government.

He made these remarks at a press conference held at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party headquarters in Colombo on 29 Dec.

Raghavan said Devananda is a person who survived multiple attacks by the LTTE and had previously faced severe assaults even at the Boossa Detention Camp. Under such circumstances, detaining him at Mahara Prison endangers his life.

He stressed that if Devananda has committed any wrongdoing, there is no objection to legal action being taken against him. However, the government must ensure his full security.

Raghavan said he did not wish to comment on Devananda’s political stance, noting that their political ideologies differ entirely. Nevertheless, he maintained that Devananda’s detention at Mahara Prison could pose a serious threat to his life.

He further noted that Devananda has survived more than ten assassination attempts, particularly by the LTTE. Mahara Prison has the capacity to hold around 1,000 inmates, but reportedly houses nearly 3,000 prisoners at present, making it unsuitable to detain him under such congested conditions.

While not opposing legal proceedings against him, Raghavan reiterated that ensuring Devananda’s safety is a fundamental responsibility of the government.