The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has submitted more than 60 sanction and visa ban requests till Wednesday targeting Sri Lankan officials over human rights abuses and economic crimes. These submissions have been sent to governments in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, the EU, and the UN, reports Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror.
The cases focus on severe human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests, and sexual violence, committed during and after Sri Lanka's civil war. These actions are classified as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ITJP also highlights rampant corruption within Sri Lankan governance, including judicial interference and abuse of power that exacerbated the country’s ongoing economic crisis.
Additionally, visa ban requests have been submitted for former Indian Peacekeeping Force officers implicated in mass atrocities during their deployment in Sri Lanka in the late 1980s.
Yasmin Sooka, Executive Director of ITJP, stressed the importance of documenting past and current crimes and continuing to push for accountability. “We hope the UK government will impose sanctions on Sri Lankan officials on Human Rights Day (10 December) for their role in war crimes,” she said.
The ITJP has also filed universal jurisdiction cases for war crimes against senior military officials, including General Shavendra Silva and General Jagath Jayasuriya, in various countries. In addition, it has filed criminal complaints in multiple jurisdictions, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, the US, and Singapore, seeking justice for victims of Sri Lanka’s civil war.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
