A long-awaited verdict in the habeas corpus petition concerning the enforced disappearance of 22 Tamil individuals following a Sri Lankan military cordon and search operation in Navatkuli in 1996 has been scheduled for 28 August by the Chavakachcheri Magistrate’s Court.
The petition, initially filed before the Jaffna High Court, seeks accountability for the disappearance of the victims after they were reportedly arrested by the Sri Lankan army during a military operation in the Navatkuli area of Jaffna. As the incident fell within the jurisdiction of the Chavakachcheri court, the case was transferred there for examination.
However, due to the magistrate being on leave this week, the verdict has been postponed until the end of August.
Retired Major General Keppetiwalana has been named as the prime suspect in the case. He was commanding the army detachment in Navatkuli at the time of the disappearances and is accused of overseeing the arrests of the 22 Tamil youth, both male and female, who have not been seen since.
The incident occurred during the presidency of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, at the height of military operations in the North-East. The victims’ families have been campaigning for decades, demanding answers and justice for their missing loved ones.
In December 2021, Keppetiwalana appeared in court in connection with the Navatkuli disappearances, marking one of the few instances where a high-ranking military official has been summoned over alleged wartime abuses. Despite this, no accountability has been secured to date.
The case has drawn significant attention from human rights groups and Tamil civil society, particularly in light of mounting evidence of enforced disappearances and mass graves across the Tamil homeland.
