Finnish MP Hussein al-Taee called on the government of Finland to impose targeted sanctions on Sri Lankan officials who have been credibly accused of war crimes.
In a written question earlier this month, the Social Democratic Party MP asked if Finland will follow Canada and the US in imposing targeted sanctions through the Magnitsky Act.
The question stated that sanctions would be the "most effective means" of holding the perpertrators of war crimes accountable.
"Despite constant calls from the international community to address accountability for genocide, war crimes and other crimes against the Tamils, the Sri Lankan state has not taken meaningful steps to comply with its obligations," he added in his written question.
Last month, Canada announced targeted sanctions against Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa as well as Sunil Ratnayake and Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi for “gross and systematic violations of human rights during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka."
The sanctions will effectively freeze any assets they may hold in Canada, bar them from financial or related services and deem them inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The International Diplomatic Council of Tamil Eelam thanked al-Taee for his question and urged other countries to follow suit and sanction Sri Lankan war criminals.
