Tamil wins reprieve in fight against deportation from Canada

A provincial court in Canada has delayed the implementation of a deportation order against a man accused of raising funds for the Tamil Tiger separatists in Sri Lanka, Manickavasagam Suresh.

Mr Suresh arrived in Canada as a refugee, but has been detained since l995 for being what the authorities term a security threat.

The human rights organisation Amnesty International has supported Mr Suresh's contention that he faces torture if he returned to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan officials deny this.

The BBC correspondent in Colombo says if his appeals fail, it would be the first time a foreign government has deported anyone for alleged links to the Tamil Tigers.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service