Rajapaksa signs petition against war crimes court


The former Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the former defence secretary, his brother, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Monday signed a petition against a war crimes court in Sri Lanka.

The petition was prepared by the National Movement to Protect War Heroes, which said the court would "hunt down" Sri Lankan soldiers.

The petition described the court as an 'International War Crime Court' came despite the Sri Lankan prime minister's reiteration that foreign judges would not be permitted.

Signing the petition, Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa slammed the visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as "a joke".

"He can't come here for a day and expect to understand the situation. He is only meeting one side," Mr Gotabhaya, was quoted by AFP as saying. "It is a big joke."

The former minister of external affairs, G L Peiris also signed the petition.

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