The Special Rapporteur has sent a joint letter to the Government of Sri Lanka concerning its recently proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) published on 17 March 2023. The ATA represents the latest development of the Sri Lankan Government’s legislative amendments in response to the challenges posed by the Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1979 (PTA) and the Rehabilitation Bill passed by the Sri Lankan Parliament on 18 January 2023. The latter legislation followed an earlier proposed draft to establish a Bureau for the Rehabilitation of ‘drug addicts, war warriors, and violent extremists.’
The letter notes that the revisions to the draft Rehabilitation Bill following a decision of the Supreme Court would not adhere in certain regards to fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, and have not remedied the substantive deficiencies of the legislation, and therefore would place many of its provisions in direct contradiction with the international human rights law obligations of Sri Lanka.
The letter, along with any reply sent by the Government of Sri Lanka, may be found on the OHCHR website.