UN Member States can refer the situation in Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC), apply targeted sanctions against State officials responsible for grave human rights violations and pursue investigation and prosecution of international crimes committed by all parties in Sri Lanka before their own national courts, UN Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet said in the Advance unedited version of her report on Sri Lanka. She said all parties who committed crimes in Sri Lanka can be tried before domestic courts, including under accepted principles of extraterritorial or universal jurisdiction. The reported titled ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ was released yesterday and would be tabled to the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) 46th session to be held from 22 February-19 March. In the report conclusions, the High Commissioner said member states have a number of options to advance criminal accountability and provide measures of redress for victims in Sri Lanka. The High Commissioner recommended that the Government of Sri Lanka should remove from office security personnel and other public officials credibly implicated in human rights violations, in compliance with human rights standards and implement other reforms of the security sector to strengthen and ensure accountability and civilian oversight.

Source: The Nation January 28, 2021 04:52 UTC