Photo by Feng Yongbin - China Daily

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has rejected 13 articles of the controversial Finance Amendment Bill submitted by Minister of Finance, Basil Rajapaksa, as “unconstitutional”.

Four rights groups have expressed concern over Police Scotland's training of Sri Lankan police officers and have called for an end to the programme until Sri Lanka demonstrates "a genuine willingness to reform." 

21 Eelam Tamil refugees have been reported to have committed suicide in a special camp in Trichy Central Jail following the rejection of their demand for release. A further five remain in critical condition in the Trichy Government Hospital.

Photo of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen

Former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s brother-in-law, who had been detained in relation to the murder of a domestic worker, has been released on bail by Colombo Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala.

The Government of Hong Kong is the latest to place stringent restrictions on inbound Sri Lankan travellers as Sri Lanka continues to grapple with an ongoing surge in COVID cases, with daily deaths exceeding 150.

Responding to Sri Lanka’s expansion of its draconian counter-terrorism legislation in March, a team of UN Special rapporteurs have published a damning report highlighting that the current legislation “risks jeopardizing the rights and liberties of persons who may be detained arbitrarily, especially religious and ethnic minorities, and may curtail political dissent”.

As Sri Lanka grapples with the ongoing COVID pandemic and economic crisis, the government has announced a cabinet reshuffle.

File photo: Ali Sabry 

Sri Lankan Justice Minister, Ali Sabry, stated that cases pending and filed prior to 2016 under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be concluded by the end of this year.

As the average daily death toll due to COVID surpasses 100, the country’s police have announced that they will begin arresting individuals for not wearing masks in public.

Responding to Police Scotland’s suspension of its police training programme, due to human rights concerns, Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister, Sarath Weerasekara, decried the decision as “unfair”.