Unconventional US court summons for Rajapakse approved

by admin
Oct 14, 2011

In a precedent setting case, a US court has ruled that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse can be served over TamilNet and through Sri Lankan newspapers, in a case against him for complicity in extra-judicial killings.

Judge Kotelly of the District of Columbia ruled that with Rajapakse having evaded service in person, “it is not reasonably possible or practicable to give more adequate warning”.

The court then authorized serving the President by posting the full summons and complaint on TamilNet and in two Sri Lankan newspapers.

Attorney Bruce Fein, speaking to TamilNet, said that the ruling,

“marks a legal milestone in achieving accountability for the gruesome extra-judicial killings of innocent civilians ordered or condoned by the highest officials of the Sri Lankan government during the ethnic civil war.”

See report from TamilNet here.

See our earlier post: ‘US court summons issued for Mahinda Rajapaksa’ (Oct 2011)

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