Amnesty International South Asia has raised grave concerns after Sandya Eknaligoda, the wife of forcibly disappeared journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, received a death threat following her objections to the promotion of a military intelligence officer accused in her husband’s abduction.
In a public statement issued on social media, Amnesty International South Asia said it was “deeply alarmed” that Sandya Eknaligoda had been threatened over the phone after writing to Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, opposing the promotion of Lieutenant Colonel Thelge Erantha Radeesh Peiris to the rank of Brigadier.
Peiris is the ninth accused in the ongoing enforced disappearance case being heard before the Colombo Permanent High Court and served in Sri Lanka’s Military Intelligence at the time of Prageeth Eknaligoda’s disappearance.
Amnesty International South Asia stated:
“We are deeply alarmed that Prageeth Eknaligoda’s wife, Sandya Eknaligoda, received a death threat over a phone call after writing to the President objecting the promotion of the 9th accused in the Colombo Permanent High Court case - Military Intelligence officer Thelge Erantha Radeesh Peiris - to the rank of Brigadier. Sandya Eknaligoda must be able to continue her peaceful pursuit of justice, like she is doing today in Colombo, freely without threats, intimidation and harassment. We urge authorities, including the National Authority for the Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses, to act swiftly to ensure Sandya Eknaligoda’s safety and hold those responsible for the death threat to account.”
Sri Lanka: We are deeply alarmed that Prageeth Eknaligoda’s wife, @SP_Ekneligoda, received a death threat over a phone call after writing to the President objecting the promotion of the 9th accused in the Colombo Permanent High Court case - Military Intelligence officer Thelge… https://t.co/GSUdBkBoXp pic.twitter.com/wf34L3c4aM
— Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office (@amnestysasia) January 27, 2026
Prageeth Eknaligoda, a journalist and political cartoonist, was forcibly disappeared on 24 January 2010, shortly after publishing work critical of then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
His case has drawn sustained domestic and international attention, becoming emblematic of the thousands of enforced disappearances that took place under successive Sri Lankan governments. Prior to his abduction, he was investigating the use of chemical weapons by Sri Lanka’s army against Tamils in the North-East.
Despite the gravity of the case, accountability has remained elusive for over a decade.
Her objection to Peiris’s promotion comes amid criticism from civil society organisations, who have warned that elevating an officer accused of enforced disappearance undermines judicial independence.
