Our response to President Sirisena's backtrack on justice process for Sri Lanka

Statement from Freedom from Torture on President Sirisena’s questioning of our 2015 torture evidence in BBC interview of 21 January 2016.

Sonya Sceats, Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:

“This is an outrageous reversal of promises made to torture survivors and the international community in October 2015 to deliver an internationalised justice process as part of the new government’s determination to achieve accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

Survivors of torture receiving rehabilitation treatment from Freedom from Torture have been clear from the start that for them to have any confidence in the justice process, there must be strong international participation at every stage and level.

The President has questioned the veracity of the evidence Freedom from Torture has presented of ongoing torture under his presidency.

Of the eight cases of torture in 2015 that we have described, one involves a survivor who has already been granted international protection within the UK asylum system. The remaining seven have been referred to us for forensic documentation of their injuries or have been referred for therapy by psychiatric specialists and GPs in Britain’s National Health Service.”