Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has issued directives to police and armed forces arresting people under the draconian Prevention for Terrorism Act (PTA) that call on officials to refrain from humiliating and torturing the detainees, reports Colombo Page.
Mr Sirisena’s directive to the armed forces and security forces referred to guidelines for detention under the PTA that were issued by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) last month.
The directive places guidance on the arrest procedure, the procceses that must be adhered to after arrest and on the treatment of detainees.
Tamil victims as well as the international community through UN resolutions and statements, have consistently called for the abolishment of the PTA which allows for indefinite arbitrary detention.
Sri Lanka must place a moratorium on PTA use until it is repealed - Human Rights Watch (13 June 2016)
Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission issues guidance on treatment of arbitrarily detained prisoners 28 May 2016)
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.
