The International Commission of Jurists has stated that UN Human Rights Council resolution to establish an international investigation into allegations of human rights violations sends a strong message to Sri Lanka and “gives hope to tens of thousands of victims who continue to be denied truth and justice”.
Responding to the vote, Sheila Varadan, the ICJ South Asia Programme Legal Advisor, stated,
“The resolution sends a strong message to the Government of Sri Lanka that the international community is not willing to turn its back on victims’ pursuit of truth, justice and accountability in Sri Lanka.”
She went on to add,
“Not only has the Government of Sri Lanka failed to deliver on its repeated promises to ensure accountability, it has actively dismantled the very institutions that could have delivered truth, justice and remedy for such rights violations and abuses.”
“The judiciary has been effectively decapitated, and lawyers and judges continue to face intimidation, harassment and threats… Without an impartial and independent judiciary, it is simply not possible to have a credible independent and impartial investigation at the national level, no matter what the Government says.”
See the full statement here.
Find full coverage of the UNHRC vote and reactions to the resolution mandating the OHCHR to undertake an inquiry here.
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