Freedom from Torture evidence supports UN work to hold Sri Lanka accountable for torture

The United Nations (UN) Committee Against Torture has called on the Sri Lankan government to take greater action to end the use of torture by state security forces and bring those responsible to justice. Freedom from Torture has documented over 250 cases of torture in recent years.

In its latest report on Sri Lanka, the UN Committee Against Torture, which is made up of 10 independent experts, concluded that the Sri Lankan government has yet to implement previous recommendations that aimed to address failings around, amongst other things, ‘inadequate investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment’ and ‘ensuring accountability for past cases of torture and disappearance’.

Freedom from Torture supported this work with both a written submission and a presentation to committee members, based on forensic medical evidence that has been documented by our expert clinicians for 279 people who have experienced torture in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war in May 2009.

Ann Hannah, Head of International Advocacy at Freedom from Torture, gave oral evidence to the committee in October this year. Commenting on its concluding observations she said:

“We welcome the Committee Against Torture’s conclusions and the continued attention on the inadequate response of the Sri Lankan government to torture practices that have continued long after the end of the conflict. Last year was the fourth successive year that Sri Lanka was the top country of origin for those referred to Freedom from Torture for medico-legal reports to document torture injuries. Sadly, that number includes cases since January 2015, under this government, which claims to have a zero tolerance policy to torture.

In particular, we echo the committee’s call for effective action to end impunity for torture, including immediate investigations into allegations of unlawful detention, torture and sexual violence by the security forces, and full implementation of the commitments that were promised by the Sri Lankan government in the Human Rights Council in October last year.

In the context of these findings, reports that President Maithripala Sirisena is seeking support from the United States for an attempt to free Sri Lankan troops from war crime allegations, should be considered absurd.”

Earlier this year, Sri Lankan torture survivors in treatment at Freedom from Torture outlined the importance of an internationalised justice process that achieves accountability for torture, and other serious human rights abuses, committed during the country’s civil war and in its aftermath.