Veteran journalist Iqbal Athas passes away

Mr. Iqbal Athas, a veteran journalist and defense analyst, passed away this morning. He was 81 years old at the time of his death.

Engaged in investigative reporting on Sri Lanka's defense and military affairs for decades, he was known as a journalist with international recognition. Mr. Iqbal Athas, who served as the defense columnist for 'The Sunday Times' for a long time, also contributed to international media organizations such as 'Jane's Defence Weekly', CNN, and 'The Times' of London. He gained particular prominence for exposing alleged corruption and irregularities in the procurement processes of Sri Lanka's defense forces. In particular, his investigative reports on the disappearance of 70,000 mortar rounds and irregularities in aircraft purchases caused a great stir.

Due to these revelations, Mr. Athas and his family received serious threats on various occasions. In 1998, five armed individuals broke into his home, threatened his wife and seven-year-old daughter, and placed a pistol to Mr. Athas's head, forcing him to stop reporting. It was believed that the security forces were involved in this incident, and subsequently, he had to live under special protection for nearly a decade. Furthermore, in 2007, due to life threats received after exposing the controversial MiG-27 aircraft deal, he was forced to leave the country for a short period.

In 2005, he was warned by then-President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga that he would be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act for criticizing government procurements. Despite such interruptions, intimidation, and protests held in front of his house, he did not abandon his professional role. He won the Alfred I. duPont – Columbia University Award for his coverage of the 2004 Tsunami disaster and was also honored with the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in 1994. Mr. Athas, who advocated for press freedom and transparency despite severe personal risks, was a respected figure both locally and internationally. According to family sources, Mr. Athas's remains have been placed at house number 11 C/1, Siriwardhana Road, Hill Street, Dehiwala, and the final rites are scheduled to be performed this afternoon at the Dehiwala Grand Jumma Mosque Cemetery.