A/67/44
Registration of all detainees
(12) The Committee notes that according to the State party’s core report, that over the
period 2000–2005, more than 80,000 persons were imprisoned annually, of whom more
than 60,000 were never convicted. Furthermore, according to the additional written
information provided by the State party’s delegation, 765 persons are detained in Sri Lanka
under administrative detention orders as of 11 November 2011 but there is no central
registry on detentions carried out under the PTA. The Committee recalls with concern that,
in response to the Committee’s confidential inquiry under article 20 of the Convention
(A/57/44, paras. 123–195), the State party informed it that a computerized central police
registry had been established, yet now reveals this has not happened (arts. 2, 11 and 16).
The State party should:
(a)
Ensure that all suspects under criminal investigation are registered
promptly from the moment of apprehension and not only upon formal arrest or
charging;
(b)
Establish immediately a central register for all persons in official
custody, inter alia, persons in prisons, police stations and “rehabilitation centres”, as
well as those detained under the PTA.
(c)
Publish a list of all detainees and places of detention.
Human rights defenders, defence lawyers, journalists and other civil society actors at
risk
(13) The Committee expresses its concern at reports that human rights defenders, defence
lawyers and other civil society actors, including political activists, trade unionists and
independent media journalists have been singled out as targets of intimidation, harassment,
including death threats and physical attacks and politically motivated charges. It regrets
that, in many cases, those allegedly responsible for acts of intimidation and reprisal appear
to enjoy impunity. The Committee notes with regret that the State party was unable to
provide adequate information on the specific incidents about which the Committee had
inquired, including the cases of journalists, such as Poddala Jayantha, Prageeth Eknaligoda
and J. S. Tissainayagam, and lawyers, such as J.C. Welliamuna and Amitha Ariyarantne.
This resulted in a number of submissions to the Committee by some of the individuals
concerned containing contradictory information. The Committee is also concerned about
information received according to which the Ministry of Defence has published articles on
its website implying that lawyers defending individuals are “traitors” to the nation. The
Committee is concerned about the fact that one of these articles, entitled “Traitors in Black
Cloaks Flocked Together”, included the names and photographs of five lawyers, putting
them at of risk of attacks (arts. 2, 12, 13 and 16).
The State party should:
(a)
Ensure that all persons, including those monitoring human rights and
combating torture and impunity are protected from intimidation or violence as a
result of their activities;
(b)
Take prompt and effective measures, including investigation and
prosecution, to address concerns regarding the extremely hostile environment for
human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and other civil society actors in Sri
Lanka.
Conditions of detention in police stations and prisons
(14) The Committee is concerned at the deplorable levels of overcrowding and poor
conditions prevailing at police stations and prisons, especially the lack of hygiene,
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GE.12-44492
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