Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ordered to Testify via Video Link in Lalith-Kugan Case

The Jaffna Magistrate's Court has directed former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to give testimony through a video link, with the proceedings to be conducted from the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court, in connection with the long-running Lalith-Kugan case.

Background to the Case

The case centres on the enforced disappearance of two young men, Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan, who went missing in Jaffna in December 2011. The two were prominent Tamil activists who had been engaged in work relating to the rights of families of the disappeared in the Northern Province.

Their disappearance occurred during the period when Gotabaya Rajapaksa served as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, a position he held under the presidency of his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa. The case has since drawn significant attention as one of the most high-profile enforced disappearance cases from the post-war period in Sri Lanka's north.

Court Order for Video Testimony

The Jaffna Magistrate's Court issued the order requiring the former president to appear before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court via video link, a measure that allows testimony to be recorded without requiring the witness to travel to Jaffna. This arrangement reflects both the logistical and security considerations associated with the appearance of a former head of state in judicial proceedings.

The decision marks a significant step in efforts to secure accountability in a case that has remained unresolved for well over a decade, and one that families of the victims and human rights advocates have followed closely.

Significance for Accountability Efforts

Rights groups have long pointed to the Lalith-Kugan case as emblematic of the broader culture of impunity surrounding enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka, particularly those that took place in the immediate post-war years in the Northern Province. Sri Lanka is estimated to have one of the highest numbers of enforced disappearances in the world.

The families of the two missing activists have persistently pursued justice through the courts, and the ordering of testimony from such a senior former official is being viewed as a notable development in the judicial process surrounding the case.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who served as Sri Lanka's eighth president from 2019 until his resignation in July 2022 following the mass public uprising known as the Aragalaya, has not publicly responded to the court's latest directive.

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