Sri Lanka takes U-Turn : Lifts terror ban imposed on Qatar Charity

Sri Lanka has decided to lift the ban imposed on Qatar Charity.

“Met the Officials of the Qatar Charity yesterday. Conveyed the message that the Defense Ministry has informed the Attorney General its decision to lift the ban on the fund which was imposed in 2019. Discussed the Charity’s work in Sri Lanka and globally” Sri Lanka Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera tweeted from Qatar after meeting Qatar Charity officials.

Sri Lankan authorities had named ‘Qatar Charity’ was a terrorist entity and had accused the charity of funding terrorism related activities in relation to the prominent case of lawyer Hijaz Hizbullah.

Lawyers of Hijaaz Hizbullah had said that naming of Qatar Charity as a terrorist outfit was part of attempts to frame Hizbullah, connecting him with the 2019 Easter Attacks.

Qatar Charity has a registered office in Sri Lanka with staff employed, none of whom were arrested despite the CID naming it as a Terrorist organization.

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa was accused by the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) of supporting a terrorist organization after he attended the opening ceremony of the Qatar Charity office in Colombo in 2019.