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Former Sri Lankan army general denied US visa

The former army commander and suspected war criminal Lt Gen Jagath Jayasuriya is thought to have been denied a visa to enter the United States for a private trip, the Daily Mirror reports.

The visa application is said to have been submitted in May for the trip at the end of June, but while Mr Jayasuriya's wife's passport was returned by the embassy, the former Chief of Defence Staff's passport had still not been returned.

When contacted by the Daily Mirror, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Colombo said that as a matter of policy, they cannot comment on individual cases. “That’s all we have to say at this moment,” he said.

Mr Jayasuriya, who is thought to have overseen gross violations of international humanitarian law, was recently appointed as the ambassador to Brazil by the Sri Lankan government.

Sri Lanka continues to appoint suspected war criminals as diplomats (24 June 2015)

Maj Gen Dias promotion 'major setback' for peace-building in Sri Lanka - NGOs (20 May 2015)

Major General Dias refused Australian visa over war crimes allegations (06 Dec 2013)

US rejects Sri Lankan military officials (21 Aug 2013)

Sri Lankan Army war criminal apprehended in Florida (27 Aug 2011)

Dias faces arrest if he returns (23 September 2011)

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