By Ceylon Signal 
Mrs. S.B.M.S.B. Sallay has issued an urgent and emotional appeal to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, warning that any extension of the Detention Order against her husband, Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay, would place his life in immediate danger due to a rapidly deteriorating cardiac condition.
In a detailed letter dated 20 August 2026, Mrs. Sallay outlines the severe medical complications her husband has suffered since being detained under a Detention Order issued by the President in his capacity as Minister of Defence. She notes that Sallay’s health worsened significantly after he began a hunger strike protesting his continued detention.
Critical Cardiac Condition and ICD Implantation
According to the letter, Sallay was first transferred to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka on 7 June following health complications. His condition deteriorated further, prompting a transfer to the Cardiology Unit on 27 June. Doctors have since implanted an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) — a device used only in cases of life‑threatening cardiac arrhythmias.
Mrs. Sallay stresses that this procedure places her husband in an “extremely vulnerable condition,” requiring continuous specialist monitoring. She warns that returning him to CID custody would expose him to “an immediate and grave risk to his life.”
“Any attempt to remove him from the controlled medical environment… would expose him to an immediate and grave risk to his life,” the letter states.
Calls for Non‑Extension of Detention Order
The appeal urges the President to:
Decline extending the Detention Order upon expiry
Transfer Sallay to remand custody under judicial supervision
Ensure uninterrupted specialist cardiac care
Prevent any action that could expose him to avoidable harm
Mrs. Sallay emphasises that her family has no intention of obstructing investigations, and that Sallay is willing to comply fully with all lawful requirements.
Humanitarian Plea Amid Ongoing Legal Reforms
She also references the Government’s ongoing efforts to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB), arguing that continued reliance on the PTA in her husband’s case would be unnecessary and disproportionate given his medical condition.
“A Matter of Life, Not Procedure”
The letter repeatedly underscores that the issue has moved beyond legal procedure and now concerns the preservation of life.
“He is a cardiac patient who has suffered serious heart failure… Any decision to extend the Detention Order… would create an entirely foreseeable and unacceptable risk to his life.”
Mrs. Sallay concludes with a direct appeal to the President’s “sense of humanity and responsibility,” urging immediate intervention to prevent what she fears could be a “tragic and irreversible consequence.”