Sri Lanka's Justice Minister claims only '14 political prisoners' in jail

Sri Lanka's Justice Minister Vijayadasa Rajapaksa sparked outrage and demands for transparency with a recent assertion that only 14 Tamil political prisoners are currently incarcerated in Sri Lankan jails. 

During his visit to Athi Vinayagar Temple in Vavuniya on January 17, Rajapaksa participated in a special pooja and addressed the media. He claimed there were ongoing legal proceedings against the  political prisoners and spoke out in defence of a recent military and police operation, allegedly aimed at arresting illegal drug smugglers.

Rajapaksa claimed "strategic measures" have been implemented to curb the sale of drugs and dismantle drug gangs. In the past few weeks, Sri Lanka's Public Security Minister Tiran Alles launched 'Operation Yukthiya', which has seen thousands detaiend across the island and UN criticism of the operation. 

The minister confirmed that cases would be filed against those apprehended in such operations aimed at tackling drug-related offenses. He also said that a committee, led by a retired justice, has been appointed to investigate the questions that have arisen regarding the Kandakadu camp, which houses individuals undergoing rehabilitation, persons with substance used disorders allegedly in recovery, and those apprehended in the latest military and police operations. Kandakadu, which has a holding capacity of 500 persons, is one of the main facilities where those apprehended in the Yukthiya operation are being held. Human rights activists have questioned as to how these facilities are keeping up with the influx of detainees.

The Minister's claim regarding political prisoners also drew scrutiny from locals. Stating that only 14 political prisoners remain in custody, with ongoing court cases, raises questions about the definition of political prisoners and the transparency of the legal proceedings on the island. Critics argue that the government should provide detailed information on these cases, given the historical context and international concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka, particularly the treatment of prisoners in prison, in the legal justice system, and the overcrowding of prisons. 

 It is unknown how many continue to be detained, but lawmakers claim hundreds of Tamil political prisoners continue to languish in Sri Lankan prisons under the act.

Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Global and entity tokens are replaced with their values. Browse available tokens.

Restricted HTML

  • You can align images (data-align="center"), but also videos, blockquotes, and so on.
  • You can caption images (data-caption="Text"), but also videos, blockquotes, and so on.
  • Global and entity tokens are replaced with their values. Browse available tokens.
  • You can embed media items (using the <drupal-media> tag).

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

link button