Category: News

  By Philip Dissanayake A young man named Dinesh Madhusankha Liyanage, a resident of the Yagirala Ittepana, works at the Agrarian Service Centre in Ittepana. On November 30, 2022, while he was on his way to work, a group of police officers of Ittepana police station took him to a deserted area in a three-wheeler, stripped him of his clothes, rubbed demon chillies all over his body including eyes, and questioned him about a theft. All this was done in connection with a theft at a tea leaf collection centre.…

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In a recent incident, the Wattala Police have taken into custody a police sergeant who was involved in an alarming act of misconduct. The officer allegedly handcuffed and forcibly dragged a woman along the busy Wattala main road on the 16th of July. According to reports, the altercation leading to this unfortunate incident stemmed from a dispute related to a transaction. Shockingly, it has come to light that the police sergeant resorted to physical assault against the woman during the course of this disagreement. The incident came to the attention…

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  In the face of a devastating catastrophe, Sri Lanka relies heavily on its women working in the Middle East as vital contributors to the country’s foreign exchange, with their remittances bolstering the struggling economy. However, the dreams of a better life for their families often transform into nightmares as many of these women find themselves trapped in circumstances resembling modern-day slavery. One such harrowing tale emerges from Lindula in the Nuwara Eliya District, where Veeran Sivaranjanee, a courageous woman, suffered unimaginable torment at the hands of her employers in…

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In a recent development, the Court of Appeal has granted bail to an individual who had been in remand for one and a half years. The decision was based on the argument that keeping a suspect in remand without filing charges would cause significant prejudice to the individual and their family. The seriousness of the alleged crime was deemed insufficient grounds to deny bail, and the court emphasized the importance of considering the presumption of innocence. The Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the resident of Mattakkuliya, Colombo, who…

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Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe recently disclosed a distressing truth regarding the backlog of cases in Magistrates’ courts throughout Sri Lanka. Shockingly, nearly one-third of these cases involve child abuse and rape, tarnishing the nation’s reputation and necessitating immediate action. Out of the 29,723 pending lawsuits, an alarming 5,550 cases are related to child abuse, while 4,312 cases involve rape. These offenses collectively make up 33 percent of the total cases, reflecting poorly on the cultural values of the nation and inviting scrutiny from other countries. Expressing deep concern, Minister Rajapakshe…

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Former President Maithripala Sirisena has made a partial payment of Rs. 15 million towards the total compensation settlement of Rs. 100 million for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. However, he has filed a motion before the Supreme Court seeking additional time to settle the remaining Rs. 85 million. In a similar vein, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara has contributed Rs. 1.75 million out of the total Rs. 75 million compensation. Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando has settled Rs. 1 million from…

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    In a poignant gathering held by the Right to Life Human Rights Center (R2L) in Sri Lanka, activists, lawyers, Judicial Medical Officers (JMOs), and torture victims came together to honor the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The event, held on June 26, 2023, focused on the theme “Torture: a Crime Against Humanity,” emphasizing the urgent need to suppress torture and protect human rights. Prominent speakers from various fields addressed the gathering, delivering thought-provoking remarks that shed light on the issue of torture and its profound…

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Right to Life, a prominent human rights advocacy organization, has issued a strong statement on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, calling for urgent action to prevent torture and promote a civilized society. The organization highlights the need for Sri Lanka, a member state of the United Nations and a party to the International Convention against Torture, to address the issue of torture within its borders. Torture is universally condemned as a crime against humanity, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has emphasized the imperative…

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  Ajith Perakum Jayasinghe I have been a torture victim. It was not for hours or days. Not for months too. It can even be counted in years. It started in May 1989, worsened by the end of the year, and began to be slightly better in mid-1990, but continued until late 1992, the time I was freed after an enforced rehabilitation. I was an activist of the rebel People’s Liberation Front (JVP) since 1984 after the party was banned unfairly. JVP converted into a militant movement in early 1986…

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By Dulan Dasanayaka, Attorney at Law  “The term ‘torture’ means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at…

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