The Sri Lankan government has been under pressure from the UN Human Rights Council and the European Union to replace the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). “The safeguards which we believe are essential to prevent torture—such as eliminating confessions—were initially assured, but have since been reversed. “Moreover, the Act also permits the extensive violation of the rights of those wholly unconnected with terrorism. The proposed framework envisages the unconstitutional stripping of judicial discretion even where a suspect is produced before a Magistrate after arrest, and renders the judge a virtual appendage of the executive arm,” the statement said. We are therefore deeply perturbed by the turn the government’s latest draft has taken,” the TNA said in anguish.

Source: bd News24 May 05, 2017 21:22 UTC