According to the report, the President has been encouraged to rescind the Regulation because its provisions are contrary to Sri Lanka’s international legal obligations. It was noted that the new Regulation expands upon provisions of concern found in the PTA. “We note that two fundamental rights petitions challenging the legality of the Regulations were recently heard in front of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. As it is their responsibility, under the mandates provided to them by the Human Rights Council, to seek to clarify all cases brought to their attention, President Rajapaksa was requested for his observations on the matters. According to the official website of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, a Government reply has been received and is being processed.

Source: The Nation August 14, 2021 08:03 UTC