The Bar Association of Sri Lanka yesterday resolved to take up with President Mahinda Rajapaksa a series of issues concerning their security, especially threats to their lives.
Bar Association President W. Dayaratna said the decision was taken at a Bar Council meeting yesterday and a committee comprising senior lawyers had been asked to follow up the issue.
The meeting came hours after another laywer’s office was set on fire at Ragama.
The laywer, Amitha Ariyaratna, was appearing in a human rights case against some officers of the Negombo Police.
Several members who attended the Bar Council meeting had said that the threats facing the lawyers were a serious issue that needed to be taken up with the President.
Mr. Dayaratna said that another issue worrying them was the publication of names of lawyers appearing in various cases in the Defence Ministry’s website articles. He said they would discuss this issue also with the President.
Lawyers, especially those appearing in human rights cases, have been under threat from various unidentified groups. One such group has identified itself as the “Mahasona Balakaya”. |
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