The Sri Lankan government under President Maithripala Sirisena continues to torture Tamils who have gone to Sri Lanka from the UK said Freedom From Torture, reiterating remarks made by UN Special Rapporteur Juan Mendez on Saturday.

Ann Hannah, International Advocate and Researcher at Freedom from Torture, said that the organisation supports demands for “an internationalised justice process for torture and other serious human rights abuses which took place during and after the civil war”.

Freedom From Torture went on to state that “while torture is still being practised any efforts towards long-term stability are undermined”.  “The number of referrals Freedom from Torture has received for people tortured since the January 2015 presidential election is deeply worrying,” said the organisation.

“Our clinical evidence shows that torture continues in Sri Lanka under President Sirisena,” said Ms Hannah. “Ahead of scrutiny by the Human Rights Council in June, we hope that the Government will announce a credible and effective torture prevention programme as part of efforts to fully implement its international commitments and build a sustainable peace.”

“We are also extremely concerned about our mounting evidence of Sri Lankan Tamils tortured after return from the UK,” she continued. “Many were interrogated about the activities of the Tamil diaspora in this country.”

“The Home Office must urgently update its policy to recognise our evidence of ongoing torture and the particular risks faced by those returning from the UK with a real or perceived past connection to the LTTE, at whatever level and whether directly or through a family member or acquaintance.”

See the full statement here.