Switzerland has urged Sri Lanka to reform its laws and institutions to allow for the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council during the general debate on the findings of the UN report into Sri Lanka’s atrocities, Switzerland called on Sri Lanka "to amend its Criminal Code in order to fully integrate war crimes offences, crimes against humanity, genocide and forced disappearance with retroactive effect and while guaranteeing their imprescriptibility. It urges Sri Lanka to commit so that crimes do not go unpunished."
Switzerland also called on Sri Lanka to "develop a credible transitional justice process with international participation and reform its institutions and its laws."
See full statement below (translated by Tamil Guardian):
Switzerland thanks the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for the substantial and detailed investigation report on Sri Lanka. It supports the recommendations that are presented and congratulates the High Commissioner's investigative team for their outstanding work.
Switzerland is extremely concerned about the report's findings that provide reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed by both parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka.
Switzerland underlines the importance that Sri Lanka develop a credible transitional justice process with international participation and reform its institutions and its laws.
In accordance with the recommendations made, Switzerland calls on Sri Lanka to amend its Criminal Code in order to fully integrate war crimes offences, crimes against humanity, genocide and forced disappearance with retroactive effect and while guaranteeing their imprescriptibility. It urges Sri Lanka to commit so that crimes do not go unpunished.
Additionally, Switzerland encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and to accept the jurisdiction of the Court from 1 July 2002 according to Article 12 paragraph 3 of this instrument.
Switzerland calls on Sri Lanka to undertake a parallel effort to search for truth in an inclusive and participatory spirit, to help heal, eventually, the deep wounds that affect Sri Lankan society and take measures for non-recurrence of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
In conclusion, Switzerland would like to know what the OHCHR intends to undertake with the support of the Sri Lankan government to strengthen its Operational capacity in the country to establish an effective and constructive cooperation?
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