By Tharushi Weerasinghe
Multiple Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations have responded to the government’s call for comments on Sri Lanka’s revised anti-terrorism bill that is set to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act by expressing “deep concern” over the continuation of “substantive deficiencies” that make the bill fall “significantly short of conformity with international law.”
The concerns were outlined in a joint report by several UN human rights mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, and Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, privacy, and torture.
The draft “Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill” (PSTA), published by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Justice in December last year, aims to replace the 1979 Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and was opened for public comments until February 28.
Read more in today's Sunday Times edition here
The government today granted permission for an Iranian warship with 208 on board to enter the country.
The United States has told Sri Lanka that the disposition of the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Bushehr and its crew is a matter for Colombo to resolve under its own laws and international obligations, while signalling it is in active talks with Sri Lanka to contain Iran’s threat to US interests.
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