In a statement released Tuesday morning, the EU Heads of Mission in Colombo stated their concern over the growing lack of media freedom in Sri Lanka, after a recent crackdown on anti-government websites.

The statement adds to the growing pressure on Sri Lanka, after the US and other free media organisations criticised moves by the Sri Lankan government stifling media freedom.

A Sri Lankan delegation, led by Mohan Pieris, told the UN Committee Against Torture on Tuesday that they are acting to curb torture committed by its security forces.

He told the panel that the Sri Lankan government agrees “110 percent” that there must be no tolerance for torture.

Their claims come as several human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Freedom from Torture, released reports which include damning evidence of systematic state sponsored torture camps.

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has backed the government's contentious expropriation bill.

The court ruled that the controversial legislation, which would allow the government to acquire enterprises and assets deemed to be underperforming is consistent with the country's constitution. 

Parliament was informed of the court ruling on Tuesday.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody said,

The Sri Lankan Government has blocked more websites from being accessed in the country, after calling on all news websites to register with the media ministry.

The websites now blocked include Lankawaynews, the official website of the UNP, Sri Lanka Guardian and Sri Lanka Mirror, extending the list of banned websites, which already includes TamilNet and Lankanewsweb and Lanka-e-news, a website which was blocked last week, prompting condemnation by the US embassy in Colombo:

NGOs and refugee agencies have criticised a Swiss federal court ruling that allows failed asylum seekers to be returned to Sri Lanka, calling it a “dangerous” decision.

The ruling deemed that it was safe to return asylum seekers back to the island, despite acknowledging the worsening human rights situation, particularly with the deteriorating freedom of speech, and sparked a wave of criticism.

The court also noted that government opponents are considered enemies of the state along with  journalists, human rights activists and NGOs, and are at risk of persecution.

Freedom from Torture, a charity working with victims of torture, has handed a report on Sri Lanka to the UN on the eve of a meeting of its Committee against torture.

The report reveals horrific details of continuing torture, mainly of Tamils, by the Sri Lankan state. Most of the torture was meted out to individuals who were perceived to have links to the LTTE.

The Sri Lankan Government has urged all news websites to register with the media ministry, in a move widely seen as an attempt to further restrict the freedom of the press on the island.

"This ministry believes that those who are operating and maintaining these clandestine websites have been doing so to discredit the government, the head of state," the ministry said in a statement.

Colombo has announced that it will de-list over 60,000 Army deserters, signalled that they will no longer pursue trying to prosecute them.

The 60,000 deserters who have left the Army since 1982, will be placed into four categories and “de-listed after due legal progress,” according to Brigadier N Hapuarachchi.

The United States has said that they have ‘high expectations’ for the forthcoming LLRC report, which is due to be handed over to Sri Lankan President mahinda Rajapakse later this week.

Speaking in a daily press briefing, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland commented on the TNA’s visit to Washington last week where they met with Under Secretary of State Sherman saying,