Sri Lanka Country Specialist for Amnesty International USA. On Facebook under Jim McDonald. Tweets are my own, not AI's.
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ALT A text graphic that says, Justice cannot rely on uncontested statements. The Bill permits statements made to a Magistrate from people who cannot be cross-examined as permissible evidence and criminalizes vaguely defined acts. Imagine a 'confession' obtained through coercion being used against you, while your ability to challenge the evidence is undermined.
ALT A text graphic that says, Your private information could be exposed. Police could access call records, subscriber identities and location data without a court order. Your contacts and movements could come under surveillance because you attended a lawful gathering or spoke with a journalist.
ALT A photo of a police officer with a dog on a leash, with text overlaid that says, Sri Lanka is following a dangerous path by introducing legislation that weakens safeguards against torture and other ill-treatment and that puts fair trial guarantees at risk, repeating the mistakes of the PTA. This must stop.
ALT A graphic of a tattoo artist with text overlaid that says, In Sri Lanka, how you dress could make you a criminal suspect. The Prevention of Organized Crime bill allows clothing, tattoos and gestures to be used as evidence of organized crime links, risking discrimination and arbitrary detention.
ALT A photo of Sri Lanka police force, with text overlaid that says Organized Crime Bill risks reviving PTA abuses. The bill risks reinforcing impunity and reopening the door to arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and other abuses associated with the PTA.
ALT A photo of Sri Lanka police force with text overlaid that says, Guilt cannot be based on past conduct or association. Criminal guilt must rest on evidence of individual wrongdoing, and not appearance, association or suspicion, to prevent discriminatory profiling, arbitrary detention and unfair trials.
ALT A graphic of texts that says, Sweeping powers, weakened safeguards. The bill allows people to be held for up to two years without trial, risks allowing forced confessions as evidence, and limits media coverage of court proceedings. It also weakens existing legal protections on cases including intellectual property and Penal code offences, when linked to organized crime.
