Jail term for Sri Lankan editor

The high court in Sri Lanka has sentenced a prominent Tamil journalist to 20 years in prison after convicting him under anti-terrorism laws. JS Tissainayagam was found guilty of "causing communal disharmony". Tissainayagam was arrested in 2008 and charged with inciting violence in articles in his magazine, the North Eastern Monthly, which is now closed. He was also accused of receiving funds from the Tamil Tigers rebels. He denied supporting violence. Tissainayagam's lawyer says he will appeal and that his client never sought to arouse hatred. The world's largest organization of journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, has condemned the judgment - which also sentences Tissainayagam to hard labor while in prison - and described it as "disproportionate, brutal and inhumane".