The case related to the deaths of 11 inmates during the Mahara Prison riot in November 2020 has been officially closed. The Attorney General confirmed today (17) before the Welisara Magistrate’s Court that there were no changes to the earlier decision to terminate legal proceedings. Magistrate Thusitha Dhammika Uduwawidana ruled that the case cannot proceed…
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that two police officers, responsible for the arrest and detention of fisherman Nimal Chandrasiri in April 2012, must pay Rs. 125,000 each in personal funds, with the State contributing an additional Rs. 250,000. This Rs. 500,000 compensation is to be paid to the victim’s family for the…
The National People’s Power (NPP) government is likely to retain the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) without any amendments or repeal, despite prior promises made in their election manifesto. The manifesto pledged to reform the PTA, describing it as a law that had historically been misused and stating the NPP’s commitment to aligning…
On November 29, 2020, a deadly riot at Mahara Prison claimed the lives of 11 inmates, with over 100 others injured, including prison officers. The most shocking aspect of this tragedy is that nine of the deceased were confirmed to be COVID-19 patients. These individuals, already vulnerable due to the virus, were killed during a…
The Attorney General has withdrawn the case related to the deaths of 11 inmates at Mahara Prison during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Attorney General, it was concluded following a comprehensive investigation that the police Special Task Force officers had acted lawfully to protect both officers and inmates during the incident….
A media organization has urged the government to enforce court rulings issued against police officers involved in the torture of suspects. In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, Ravi Seneviratne, the Young Journalists’ Association highlighted the failure to implement multiple Supreme Court and Human Rights Commission rulings over the…
The newly formed Sri Lankan government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has decisively rejected UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution 51/1, which aims to extend the mandate of an external evidence-gathering mechanism on alleged human rights violations. On October 8, the Cabinet, under President Dissanayake, resolved that Sri Lanka will address human rights concerns,…
Journalist Kalpa Gunaratne was arrested and later released on bail following an incident at the Colombo International Book Fair. The incident in question occurred near a sales stall, where a dispute escalated involving a bouncer, hired externally by the organizing entity, and a customer. The bouncer, tasked with preventing book thefts, allegedly verbally abused the…
Vidarshana Kannangara, a leader of the *Jana Aragala Vyaparaya* who defected from the movement to support President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the recently held presidential election, has voiced strong dissatisfaction over a recent police appointment. Kannangara, who backed Dissanayake instead of the movement’s candidate Nuwan Bopage in the September 21 presidential election, criticized the appointment…
In Sri Lanka, the Election Commission bears the primary responsibility of ensuring that electoral processes are conducted independently, impartially, and fairly. The Constitution of Sri Lanka establishes the Election Commission as an independent entity to oversee the organization of Presidential, Parliamentary, Provincial, and Local Government elections in line with the laws enacted by Parliament and…
