Former CID Director Shani Abeysekera was released on bail five days after the European Union Parliament passed a strongly-worded resilution against the human rights track record of Sri Lanka.

The Court of Appeal granted bail to Abeysekera and another suspect under strict bail conditions.

The order was subsequent to a bail application filed by the senior police officer. Abeysekera, who was instrumental in a number of high-profile investigations, remained in custody for over a year.

The Resolution adopted by the EU Parliament yesterday also expressed “grave concern” about arbitrary arrests and detention under the PTA without due process, including for civil society activists, lawyers, writers and poets such as Hejaaz Hizbullah and Ahnaf Jazeem.

The Resolution also noted with concern the detention of Shani Abeysekara, the former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department.