Sri Lanka - February 2026

In February, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka warned that police actions against journalists in December 2025 constituted emerging threats to freedom of expression. Police had summoned investigative journalist Tharindu Jayawardena over reporting on alleged corruption and asked the telecommunications regulator to consider revoking Hiru Media Network’s broadcasting licence following critical coverage. The Commission found that police had not disclosed the grounds for the summons and lacked jurisdiction to investigate complaints based solely on defamation. No subsequent prosecution, formal action or regulatory sanction had been publicly reported by November. Media groups nevertheless said the incidents, amid concerns over the chilling effect of the 2024 Online Safety Act, showed that pressure on critical reporting continued despite the government’s democratic reform commitments.

Update: In June, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government would not implement the Online Safety Act in its existing form and had secured Cabinet approval to introduce a replacement legislation. However, no replacement legislation had been enacted by the end of September, and the Act remained in force. 

Sources:  International Federation of Journalists, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, International IDEA