The Colombo District Court reissued summons against International Truth and Justice Project's (ITJP) executive director, Yasmin Sooka to be present in court in February 2022, for a civil defamation case filed by State Intelligence Chief Suresh Sallay.
Sallay who stands accused of abuses including the reported forced confession and denial of medical treatment of a Tamil doctor took legal action against ITJP in June over a 'defamation' claim demanding a compensation of one billion Sri Lankan rupees.
Sallay's claims refers to the information released by ITJP regarding threats of imprisonment made to Dr Thurairajah Varatharajah and his family by Sallay, just days after the armed conflict had ended with tens of thousands of Tamils massacred. Dr Varatharajah was detained for approximately 100 days and coerced into giving false testimony in a staged news conference in Colombo. Sallay reportedly used as leverage the fact that Dr Varatharajah needed essential surgery on his arm to force him into the press conference, where they were instructed to state that only 650 people had died during the final phase of the massacres.
Sallay had been previously removed from a posting due to links with military-backed gangs causing unrest in Jaffna, until December when he was appointed the Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) by Sri Lanka’s newly elected president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Salley has also been accused of concealing evidence in the murder iof Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda.
In the plaint, Salley stated that he is “a decorated military officer with an illustrious career, currently holding the rank of Major General [..] and has been granted several promotions.”
The case will be taken up on February 22 next year, two other UK based respondents were also issued summons to be present in court alongside Sooka.
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