Rights Group Files UN Complaint Over Custodial Deaths and Torture in Sri Lanka

A prominent prisoner rights organisation has taken its concerns over custodial deaths and torture in Sri Lanka directly to the United Nations, signalling growing alarm over the treatment of inmates held in the country's detention facilities.

Formal Submission to UN Body

The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) has submitted formal written submissions to the visiting UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, raising serious allegations of custodial deaths and mistreatment of prisoners.

Senaka Perera, Attorney-at-Law and Executive Director of the CPRP, confirmed that the organisation had presented its findings and concerns in writing to the UN delegation during its visit to Sri Lanka.

Growing Concerns Over Prisoner Welfare

The move underscores mounting pressure on Sri Lankan authorities to address longstanding issues surrounding the welfare and safety of individuals held in state custody. Rights advocates have long called for greater transparency and accountability within the country's prison and detention system.

By escalating the matter to an international body, the CPRP is signalling that domestic mechanisms alone may be insufficient to address what the organisation describes as serious violations of prisoners' fundamental rights.

UN Subcommittee Visit

The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, which operates under the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, periodically visits member states to inspect places of detention and engage with civil society organisations. Its presence in Sri Lanka provided the CPRP with a direct channel to present documented evidence of alleged abuses.

The CPRP has urged the UN body to scrutinise conditions within Sri Lankan detention facilities and to recommend concrete measures to prevent further deaths and ill-treatment of those in custody.

Related Video