Day: May 17, 2024

The Right to Life Human Rights Centre (R2L) has unveiled its second torture monitoring report, titled “TRUTH: Targeting Rights: Unraveling Torture’s Harm.” This quarterly publication is a critical resource for understanding the prevalence of torture in Sri Lanka, highlighting measures to prevent it, and detailing legal actions against perpetrators. The report’s key aims are to monitor the incidence of torture, document preventive measures, and track legal proceedings against those responsible for torture. R2L asserts that “TRUTH” is vital for promoting accountability and achieving justice for torture victims in Sri Lanka.…

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The Gampaha High Court Trial-at-Bar has acquitted four Sri Lanka Army personnel implicated in the Rathupaswala shooting incident, which resulted in the deaths of three individuals during a protest in 2013. The verdict, delivered over 11 years after the tragic event, was issued by a panel of High Court Judges—Nimal Ranaweera, Nishantha Hapuarachchi, and Sahan Mapa. The acquitted individuals include an Army officer and three soldiers. The incident occurred on August 1, 2013, in the Weliweriya area of Rathupaswala, Gampaha, when villagers were protesting against a factory accused of contaminating…

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Melsiripura police have arrested two individuals, including a school student, on charges of stealing an air rifle and a mobile phone from a house. The student claims he was subjected to police brutality during the arrest. According to the student, he was the only one taken to the police station by three officers, who allegedly handcuffed and beat him while being transported in a police tricycle. The other two arrested individuals were not punished, the student reported. The student also stated that the police demanded all three pay 22,000 rupees…

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On May 17, 2024, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka issued a landmark order requiring former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Army Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake to testify regarding the controversial presidential pardon granted to Ratnayake. This case, involving the 2000 killing of eight civilians, including a child, in Mirusuvil, Jaffna, marks a significant moment in Sri Lanka’s pursuit of transitional justice. The court’s directive mandates that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who issued the pardon during his presidency, must explain his rationale for the decision. Concurrently, Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake has been ordered to provide…

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