Senior lawyer Hijaz Hizbullah, who was detained for 22 months without bail under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), has commented on the situation involving former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director and retired Major General Suresh Sallay.
In a statement shared on social media, Hizbullah said that if Sallay is innocent of the allegations against him, he should remain strong and face the legal process.
“If he is innocent, Sallay should stand strong and fight his case,” Hizbullah stated.
Reflecting on his own experience in detention, he noted that he and others who were held under the PTA endured difficult conditions while continuing to challenge the cases against them through legal means.
“We prayed, exercised, read books, met our lawyers, and faced and fought our cases,” he said.
Hizbullah further remarked that Sallay, who served as Director of the State Intelligence Service during the period of their detention, was aware of the circumstances under which they were held.
He claimed that the conditions faced by PTA detainees at that time were considerably more difficult than those reportedly being experienced by Sallay today.
The comments come amid ongoing public discussion regarding allegations made about Sallay’s treatment while in custody and claims that he has begun a hunger strike in protest against those conditions.
Authorities have not publicly responded to the allegations regarding Sallay’s treatment at the time of reporting.
