The Attorney General's Coordinating Officer, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne stated that the AG had informed the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake regarding the Parliamentary seat of the former State Minister, 'Neth News' reported.
While Ranjan Ramanayake was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment for committing contempt of court, the Attorney General’s Department informed the Batticaloa High Court last week that it will not continue with the case filed against MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias ‘Pillayan’, in the case filed over the 2005 killing of former parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham.
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in a statement deplored the comprehensive failure of the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure accountability for conflict-era crimes, marked by the dropping of charges and release of all five accused in the Joseph Pararajasingham murder trial.
The ICJ (International Commission of Jurists) says the Attorney General has not disclosed why the charges against the accused have been withdrawn, calling the withdrawal of charges five years later a serious blow to the victims of the attack.
The International Commission of Legal Experts recalled that Pillayan's acquittal came a few years after the five accused in the murder of former parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj, including Navy intelligence officers, were released by a Sinhala - speaking jury.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has accused the government of using COVID-19 to stifle freedom of expression after the authorities threatened to arrest anyone who “criticized” its handling of the pandemic.
She condemned the pardon of one of the few soldiers ever convicted of serious abuses, and raised concerns about “appointments to key civilian roles of senior military officials allegedly involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
The UN Human Rights Council will consider possible measures regarding Sri Lanka at its February-March 2021 session, including calls for an international accountability mechanism to pursue justice for past abuses.
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Pillaiyan's acquittal emblematic of the State’s failure to ensure accountability : ICJ
