The United Nations has called on member states of the UN Human Rights Council to investigate and prosecute alleged perpetrators of international crimes committed by any party to the conflict in Sri Lanka.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in a report on Sri Lanka published ahead of the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, recommended that Human Rights Council and Member States, cooperate in investigating and prosecuting alleged perpetrators of international crimes committed by any party to the conflict in Sri Lanka through judicial proceedings before national jurisdictions, including under accepted principles of extraterritorial or universal jurisdiction, through relevant international networks and mutual legal assistance processes and in cooperation with survivors, families and their representatives.
Member states have also been urged to consider using other international legal options to advance accountability in Sri Lanka.
They have also been urged to explore, as part of a wider range of accountability measures and consistent with international law, further targeted sanctions, such as asset freezes and travel bans against individuals credibly alleged to have perpetrated gross international human rights violations or serious humanitarian law violations.
Member states have also been urged to review asylum measures in respect of Sri Lankan nationals to protect those facing reprisals and refrain from any refoulement in cases that present a real risk of torture or other serious human rights violations.
OHCHR has also sought support to continue its monitoring and reporting and its strengthened work on accountability for human rights violations and related crimes in Sri Lanka.
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva will discuss Sri Lanka’s human rights issue on the opening day of the September session.
Sri Lanka is listed under Item number 2 of the Session and will be discussed on the opening day of the 57th Session of the UNHRC on 9th September.
The Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka will be presented to the Council on 9th September.