The image shared after a deadly July 2026 prison riot was digitally altered to make it look like Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar accused the government of shooting inmates who requested medicine. Reverse-image searches found the original photo on her Facebook page from Dec. 10, 2020 — a protest over the Mahara Prison riot in which the placard read "Asked for PCR, received a bullet." Google's SynthID Detector and fact-checkers concluded the July image was AI-manipulated.
AI-Altered Photo Falsely Shows Colombo Mayor Protesting Prison Shootings After Deadly Riot
Screenshot of the false post captured on July 20, 2026, with an AI label and red X added by AFP
An image circulated on social media after a deadly prison riot near Colombo was digitally altered to falsely portray Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar accusing the government of shooting inmates who asked for medicine. Fact-checkers and an AI-detection tool flagged the picture as manipulated.
What Happened
The doctored photo — posted on X on July 7, 2026 and later captured in a screenshot on July 20, 2026 — appears to show the mayor holding a Sinhala-language placard reading: "Asked for medicine, received a bullet." Fact-checkers added an AI label and a red X to the screenshot to indicate suspected manipulation.
Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (L) and the December 2020 photo
Original Image And Context
A reverse image search located a near-identical photo on Vraie Cally Balthazaar's Facebook page dated December 10, 2020, roughly four and a half years before she became mayor. In the original image she was protesting after the Mahara Prison riot; the placard in that photo read "Asked for PCR, received a bullet." The caption on her post referenced World Human Rights Day and protests over burial rights, maternity benefits and dignity.
Why The Image Is Misleading
Analysis with Google's SynthID Detector concluded the July 2026 version was altered using Google AI. Fact-checkers and news agencies noted the newer post repurposed the older 2020 protest image to create the impression the mayor was responding to the deadly Negombo Prison clashes.
Screenshot of results from SynthID Detector's analysis
Broader Context
The manipulated image surfaced after violent clashes at Negombo Prison on July 5–6, 2026, in which 21 inmates and 10 prison staff were killed during fighting between rival gangs. The incident renewed scrutiny of Sri Lanka's overcrowded prisons, which official figures show are operating at roughly four times capacity. The justice ministry has said it plans to open new facilities as a temporary measure.
UN Statement: "Overcrowding, outdated practices and poor conditions in places of detention have long been recognised as critical challenges across prison systems in Sri Lanka."
Aftermath And Verification
Opposition parties have called for an impartial investigation into the Negombo events. AFP and other fact-checkers have debunked the doctored image and highlighted the importance of reverse-image checks and AI-detection tools when assessing rapidly spreading social media posts.
Bottom line: The image that circulated in July 2026 was digitally altered. The original photo, from December 2020, showed Balthazaar protesting a different prison incident and featured a different slogan on the placard.
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