The International Commission of Jurists and the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka have strongly condemned the murder of two suspects in police custody which has occurred on two consecutive days.
In the last three months, there have been five lethal encounters with the police which has led the ICJ to raise concerns that Sri Lankan police are engaging in premeditated ‘extrajudicial’ killings. In a statement on Twitter, the ICJ urged for an investigation into the alleged violations of the right to life and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
The ICJ further maintained that:
#SriLanka must adhere to due process guarantees provided for in its Constitution and to uphold the Rule of Law by putting an immediate end to such extrajudicial killings and to conduct impartial, independent investigations of all earlier incidents. 7/7
— ICJ - Asia and the Pacific (@ICJ_Asia) May 13, 2021
In one of the listed incidents, two three-wheel taxi drivers were stopped by police at a roadblock before one of the men was shot by the police and later died in hospital. The police allege that some of the men in the three-wheelers had attacked them and obstructed them from carrying out their duties.
For more details on those killed click here.