COLOMBO – Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali issued a conditional order directing controversial YouTube content creator Abdul Sattar Mohamed Ismath to appear before the Magistrate’s Court on August 21 and to immediately remove all online content allegedly published against the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) and its executive members, which the petitioner claims to be false, malicious, and defamatory.
The order was issued in response to an application filed by the ACJU under Section 24 of the Online Safety Act, No. 9 of 2024. The Act permits any affected party to seek preventive court orders where there is evidence that prohibited or harmful statements have been disseminated online.
Representing the ACJU, Attorney-at-Law Chinthaka Rankothge informed court that the organisation’s Executive Committee had passed a formal resolution to address the misuse of social media platforms that promote communal ill-will, hatred and defame religious institutions. He submitted that such issues must be confronted through the due process of law and within the framework of administration of justice, and that ACJU had accordingly sought judicial intervention.
It was alleged that Mohamed Ismath, through a series of videos and posts published between July 16 and August 2, 2025, targeted the ACJU, its executive members, and its social and religious activities with content intended to incite ill-will and disrepute. Counsel further revealed that the respondent is currently a suspect in another pending criminal case related to a national security and has been named in a recent Gazette notification listing proscribed individuals with links to extremist activities.
The counsel argued that the respondent’s conduct, under the guise of freedom of expression, has caused irreparable harm and posed a serious threat to inter communal peace. The court was presented with social media evidence supporting these claims.
After reviewing the material, the court issued an order under Section 24(2) of the Online Safety Act directing the suspect to remove the offending content without delay and appear in person on August 21, to confirm compliance the said order and to show cause as to why further judicial action should not be taken against him.
It is notable that, under Section 24 of the Act, failure to comply with such an order constitutes a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years and/or a fine not exceeding two million rupees.
The matter has been fixed for further proceedings on August 21, 2025.
