Sri Lanka, July 10 -- In a chilling reflection of the continued misuse of draconian legislation in post-war Sri Lanka, 21-year-old aviation student Mohamed Rifai Mohamed Suhail has spent nearly nine months in detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) - even though authorities now admit he committed no offence.

The timeline of his arrest and continued incarceration paints a stark picture of the gaps in Sri Lanka's legal and judicial systems. Suhail, a resident of Mawanella, was arrested on October 23, 2024, while looking for rental accommodation in Colombo. He had recently enrolled in an airline cabin crew course and was preparing to begin a new chapter of his life. Stopped by officers from the Dehiwala Police for not carrying...