A Tamil journalist Tissanayagam who wrote articles criticising the Sri Lankan government’s war against the Tamil Tigers was today sentenced to 20 years’ hard labour under the country’s anti-terrorism laws. Tissainayagam’s defence lawyers said their client would appeal, maintaining he had always fought for human rights. The journalist’s case has attracted international attention, with President Obama saying earlier this year it was “emblematic of the hundreds of journalists who face intimidation, censorship, and arbitrary arrest”