Formerly exiled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left for the United States with his family amidst calls for his arrest under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
According to officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Rajapaksa and his family left for the US via Dubai this morning. He is accompanied by his wife, Ayoma Rajapaksa, his son Manor Rajapaksa, his daughter-in-law, and his grandchild.
In July 2022, the former president was forced to flee the country after mass demonstrations which led to crowds storming his official residence. After fleeing from Sri Lanka to the Maldives, and then to Singapore, Rajapaksa announced his resignation. On 2 September, he returned back to Sri Lanka.
In July, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court demanded that Rajapaksa's to return to face the court in relation to a petition which called for an investigation into corruption and the bankruptcy of Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa ignored the summons and failed to appear before the court on 1st August.
Following his escape, the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) filed a criminal complaint to Singapore's Attorney General, seeking Rajapaksa's "immediate arrest" for committing war crimes. A group of 17 Tamil and human rights organisations from across the world, also issued a joint letter urging Singapore’s Attorney-General's Chambers to investigate and prosecute Rajapaksa for his involvement in international crimes during the culmination of the Tamil Genocide in 2009.
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