The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has rejected a report by UK based charity Freedom From Torture, which detailed cases of torture that continues under the present Sri Lankan government.
“We cannot accept such claims,” said the Legal Secretary and Media Spokesman of the HRCSL Nimal Punchihewa.
“HRCSL officials visit Sri Lankan prisons on regular basis but no incident of torture has been reported and we have not received any complaints,” he added.
He went on to tell The Sunday Leader that HRCSL officials visit prisons once a month and denied they had received complaints of torture. He also denied arrests were continuing to take place under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Mr Punchihewa’s comments come after current Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would only address the report, after the UN Human Rights Council session in September.
See more in our earlier posts:
Ranil says torture report will be addressed after OISL report is released (13 Aug 2015)
Strong international involvement needed to address ongoing torture in Sri Lanka says Freedom From Torture (13 Aug 2015)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
