The lawyers appearing for Journalist J. S. Tissainayagam yesterday requested permission from the High Court of Colombo to file a bail application, on behalf of their client, in the Supreme Court.

However, the State Counsel objected to this request.

Tissainayagam and two others were arrested in March this year and have been held in detention since then. They were denied bail by the High Court. Tissainayagam was indicted with an offence said to have been committed during the period between June 2006 and June 2007. He was charged with committing an offence or aiding and abetting to the commission of an offence which was intended to cause acts of violence or racial or communal disharmony by the printing or distribution of the magazine named ‘North Eastern Monthly’. He was also charged for contributing or collecting or obtaining information or donating funds for the purpose of terrorism by collecting funds through the magazine, which is an offence punishable under the Emergency Regulations.

Counsel Anil Silva, addressing the Court yesterday, stated that the defence is to file a bail application before the Supreme Court and requested the Court to allow the defence to file the application.

State Counsel Sudarshan de Silva objected to this request stating that the accused was charged with offences under Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundera put off the case to January 13, and the order as to whether the Court would allow the defence to move to the Supreme Court for bail would be delivered on that day.