News
Sweeping laws to be introduced against enforced disappearences
New laws are to be formulated whereby anyone found guilty of an enforced disappearance can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and fined Rs.1 million.
A person found guilty of such an offence will also have to pay a fine of Rs.500,000 as compensation to the family of the disappeared victim.
Aiding and abetting anyone’s enforced disappearance, attempting to carry out or conspiring to carry out an enforced disappearance will also be listed as a crime, and those found guilty will face a maximum of 20 years RI and a Rs.1 million fine. They too will have to pay Rs.500, 000 as compensation to the victim.
The new laws will be formulated in line with commitments made in the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Under the new laws, defendants charged with forcibly disappearing someone will be served indictments in a High Court by the Attorney General.
The Western Province High Court in Colombo will be conferred with the power to hear all such cases. It will also be possible under these laws to arrest and extradite from Sri Lanka foreign nationals who are suspected to have carried out enforced disappearances in their native countries.
Illegally holding an arrested individual, abduction, denying a person their freedom or failure to disclose their location will also be listed as a crime coming under enforced disappearances. Meanwhile, officials who fail to take steps to prevent the occurence of such a crime are also liable to be prosecuted under these laws.