How a joke became a national security threat in Sri Lanka

At the Free Speech Summit 2025, Nathasha Edirisooriya delivers a powerful and deeply personal keynote on comedy, blasphemy, and the cost of crossing cultural red lines. Reflecting on her arrest and 39-day imprisonment following a stand-up routine on May 27, 2023, she examines what unfolds when satire collides with religion, nationalism, and political fear.

Blending sharp humor with painful honesty, Edirisooriya explores censorship, online mobs, extremism, algorithmic outrage, and why laughter still matters in societies shaped by fear and trauma. Her story raises urgent questions about free speech, punishment, resilience, and whether comedy can survive when the price of a joke is prison.