The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on Thursday reiterated the importance of involving international judges in an accountability mechanism in Sri Lanka, stating without this it would not be credible.
"The ICJ reiterates that, in line with operative paragraph 6 of resolution 30/1, 1 the accountability mechanism cannot be seen as credible without involvement of international judges, prosecutors and investigators," the ICJ said in a statement.
"Sri Lanka has not made sufficient progress on its commitments and obligations as reflected in Council resolution 30/1. Among the mechanisms contemplated, only the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) is operational. The process for establishing the other mechanisms, and the extent to which their composition will be based on the broad national public consultations carried out in 2016, remains unclear," the ICJ added.
"Furthermore, despite promises to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), arrests still take place. As the High Commissioner recommended, the PTA should be promptly repealed without waiting for replacement legislation. Any proposed counterterrorism law must comply with international human rights standards."
