Sri Lanka: New government silences dissent and disrupts protests while impunity for past crimes persists

The state of civic space in Sri Lanka is rated as ‘repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Ongoing concerns include restrictions and disruption of peaceful protests - at times with excessive use of force - and the stifling of journalists. Activists have also been targeted and criminalised using defamation and counter-terror laws, and there has been a systematic failure to address past crimes against them.

In January 2025, Human Rights Watch reported that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who pledged to address some longstanding human rights concerns, has not supported accountability for large-scale violations that occurred during Sri Lanka’s 1983-2009 civil war. In May 2025, Amnesty International said that the government continued its use of draconian legislation and crackdowns on freedom of expression and association. It passed new laws to stifle dissent, without adequate consultation and in contravention of international human rights laws and standards. Minorities, activists and civil society continued to be intimidated and harassed.

In March 2025, The United Kingdom government imposed sanctions on four men implicated in atrocities during the country’s civil war. They include retired Gen. Shavendra Silva; former navy Cmdr. Wasantha Karannagoda; former army Chief Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya; and Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, who formed a pro-government paramilitary group.

Concerns around accountability were raised at the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March 2025 by the Sri Lanka Core Group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the United Kingdom. They called on the government to ensure the protection of civil society spaces, including by ending surveillance and intimidation of civil society actors and organisations.

The Core Group once again made a statement at the 59th session of the UNHRC in June 2025 flagging limited progress in fulfilling its commitments on human rights, accountability, reconciliation, good governance and constitutional reform. They urged the government to address longstanding impunity and to ensure that journalists, human rights defenders and civil society organisations can operate freely and safely. They were also concerned with the continued application of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, despite the government’s stated intention to abolish it.

The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk visited Sri Lanka in June 2025 and spoke about the ‘impunity trap’. Türk said that ‘an absence of justice will undermine the stability of peace and conversely, acknowledging the truth creates the space for justice and reparations – and ultimately, healing’. He added that ‘accountability and justice, including full acknowledgment of the truth of what was done to people, shape the path to lasting reconciliation’.

Since mid-January 2025, the authorities criminalised an individual for his support of Palestine, arrested a Tamil youth activist and summoned a Tamil women’s rights activist for interrogation. A UN body raised concerns on restrictions on women’s organisations and thousands continue to demand justice and accountability for civil war crimes. There have been arrests of students and disruption of protests while thousands of Aragalaya protesters continue to face legal action. Journalists continue to face harassment and restrictions while the government decides to retain the restrictive Online Safety Act with amendments.

Association

Arrested for terrorism for pasting stickers in support of Palestine

In March 2025, Mohamed Rusdi, a 22-year-old Muslim youth, was detained under the country’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), for his activism on Palestine.

Rusdi was accused of pasting up stickers opposing Israel’s genocidal attacks in Gaza. After checking CCTV footage, the police identified Rusdi, who works as a salesman in the shopping mall, and the Counter Terrorism and Investigation Division (CTID) arrested him on 22nd March at the premises.

Rusdi was held under a 90-day PTA detention order, signed off by the Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on 25th March in his capacity as the Minister of Defence.

According to Amnesty International, Rusdi was detained under the suspicion that he is connected with or concerned in unlawful activity with regard to "associating with members of extremist or terrorist organisations, motivated by extremist ideologies and acting in a manner detrimental to peace and harmony among communities and knowingly concealing such information from security forces."

Miflal Moulavi, a community leader who organised a protest against the arrest of the youth under the PTA, was summoned on 29th March 2025 to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD).

Rusdi's detention triggered strong public backlash and protests, with participants voicing concern over the suppression of free expression and the use of counter-terror laws against peaceful activism. Owing to the lack of evidence that he had committed any offence under the PTA, the detention order was suspended, and on 7th April 2025 Rusdi was released on bail after being produced before court.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka undertook an inquiry and issued its findings on 12th June 2025. The Commission noted with concern that this case presents a stark example of the inherent dangers of the PTA and the propensity of law enforcement officials to deploy the PTA’s provisions in bad faith. Despite the lack of evidence that Rusdi had committed any offence, the CTID proceeded to arrest him, to fail to produce him before a judicial officer, to secure a detention order against him, and to hold him in custody for 14 days.

Moreover, the commission said that on 30th May 2025, the Media Division of Sri Lanka Police issued an extremely prejudicial official media statement referring to Rusdi’s alleged ‘mental state’ and the possibility that he could commit an act of ‘religious extremism’ due to his ‘mental state’.

Tamil youth activist arrested over opposition to Buddhist temple in Trincomalee

An ethnic Tamil youth activist was arrested and remanded in May 2025 following a false complaint by a Sinhala Buddhist monk involved in the construction of a controversial temple in Periyakulam, Trincomalee District.

According to the Tamil Guardian, the youth, identified as Sivakumar Kirupan, also known as Sindhujan, hails from Sambaltheevu in Trincomalee. He was reportedly filming the construction site of the Buddhist temple at Periyakulam junction when a monk approached him. According to local sources, the encounter escalated into a heated exchange during which the monk allegedly attempted to assault the youth.

Subsequently, the monk filed a complaint with the Sri Lankan police in Nilaveli, alleging that Kirupan had attempted to assault him. Based on this complaint, the youth was arrested and produced before a magistrate, who ordered his remand.

Kirupan is known for his activism against land encroachments in Tamil areas. The construction of the Buddhist temple at Periyakulam has been a point of contention, with local Tamil residents opposing it since its inception in 2023. They argue that the temple is being built illegally in a predominantly Tamil area with no significant Sinhalese Buddhist population.

Police summons Tamil women’s rights activist for interrogation

On 28th May 2025, the Counter Terrorism Investigation Division (CTID) summoned Vasuki Vallipuram, a well-known women’s rights activist and Coordinator of the Women Life and Rights Association – Kilinochchi, for interrogation.

According to the Tamil Guardian, CTID officials visited her residence in Kilinochchi and handed over the summons in person. She was instructed to appear at the occupying CTID Sub-Branch Office in Paranthan on 31st May 2025. Further, the notice directs Vasuki to bring complete details of the beneficiaries associated with her organisation.

Vasuki has been a prominent voice advocating for women’s rights. Her summons has raised concerns among civil society groups, who view it as part of a continuing trend of intimidation and surveillance targeting Tamil activists and community leaders.

UN body raises concerns on restrictions on women’s organisations

A UN body raised concerns in February 2025 about the increasing restrictions on non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including women’s organisations, and on women human rights defenders

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), following its review of Sri Lanka’s record on implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, raised concerns about funding restrictions and bureaucratic obstacles that disproportionately hinder the work of women’s rights organisations, in particular those operating in conflict-affected areas.

The Committee noted that the requirement that clearance be obtained from the Ministry of Defence for the registration of NGOs, and the directive issued on 12th December 2024 by the National Secretariat for Non-Governmental Organizations, which stipulates that all foreign and domestic NGOs operating in Sri Lanka are required to register with the National Secretariat, establishes excessive regulations that place a disproportionate burden on smaller organisations.

It added that further restrictions on civil society activities, proposed in the 2024 draft amendment to the Voluntary Social Services Organisations (Registration and Supervision) Act, No. 31 of 1980, pose a direct threat to the autonomy and effectiveness of organisations working on women’s human rights and gender equality.

Thousands demand justice and accountability for civil war crimes

Thousands gathered in different parts of Sri Lanka on 18th May 2025, demanding justice and accountability for the death and disappearance of thousands of people as they marked the 16th anniversary of the end of the country's 26-year-long civil war.

Both ethnic Tamil and Sinhalese people gathered for the anniversary in the capital Colombo, as well as in several areas of the war-affected northern and eastern parts of the island nation. The gatherings organised by rights groups lit candles, oil lamps, and released flowers into the sea, demanding justice for those killed in the conflict.

As previously documented, during the internal armed conflict from 1983 to 2009, Sri Lankan government forces and their armed political affiliates committed extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and acts of torture against Tamils suspected of links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE also launched indiscriminate suicide attacks on civilian targets, assassinated politicians and critics, and forcibly recruited children as fighters.

In the 2024 elections, many Tamils voted for Anura Kumara Dissanayake for president, hoping he would break from previous administrations and address the legacy of repression and discrimination. The Dissanayake government has backed failed initiatives of previous governments, including the Office on Missing Persons, the Office for Reparations, and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation, which have made little if any progress. These institutions have been rejected by many victims’ families, who see them as part of a pattern of failed promises. Meanwhile, the government has kept in place the abusive Prevention of Terrorism Act, long used to target Tamils.

Peaceful Assembly

Arrests of students and disruption of protests

In March 2025, police arrested 27 student activists, including Madushan Chandrajith, the convener of the Inter-University Students' Federation (IUSF), during a satyagraha protest held in front of the Ministry of Health in Colombo.

Allied health services graduates have been protesting against the recruitment process for state services, particularly the introduction of examinations instead of a merit-based recruitment system.

The demonstration on 27th March 2025, which began peacefully, escalated when tensions arose after the police arrived at the scene. In an attempt to disperse the crowd, the police forcibly removed the protesters, leading to their arrest. The arrested individuals were taken into custody. At least five protesters sustained injuries.

The Maligakanda Magistrate's Court also issued a legal order prohibiting the activists from holding protests or demonstrations in key areas, including the Maradana Police Division's Hospital Square, the Ministry of Health, and the surrounding roads.

On 16th May 2025, another protest was mobilised on the same issue. The Convenor of the IUSF, Madushan Chandrajith, and at least seven others were arrested during the protest held in front of the Ministry of Health in Colombo by the Allied Health Science Graduates’ Union.

During the protest, there were several attempts by the police to arrest students, but students had managed to hold onto each other and prevent them being taken away.

Court order to restrict protest

According to civil society group INFORM, on 5th April 2025, the Sri Lanka Police secured a court order from the Fort Magistrate's Court preventing members of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) and the IUSF from entering the Colombo Fort and Galle Face areas, where a protest was planned. This order specifically targeted Duminda Nagamuwa and Pubudu Jayagoda, senior members of the FSP, as well as other activists involved in the protest.

The protest was to raise concerns on the agreements to be signed between Sri Lanka and India during the visit of Indian PM, Narendra Modi, to the country.

Wave of protests after man dies in custody

There was a wave of protests after Sathsara Nimesh, a 25-year-old from the Badulla district in eastern Sri Lanka, died under unclear circumstances while in the custody of the police.

Protesters gathered in front of the Welikada police station claimed that the dismissal and suspension of police officers responsible for the loss of life are only temporary actions. For this reason, they have asked for appropriate penalties for the culprits. Human rights activists, religious representatives, artists, lawyers, media, youth and concerned citizens have joined the protest, slamming "police brutality”, urging “the government to take the necessary action against the criminals.”

Nimesh was attending a training course for caregivers in Colombo when police detained him on 1st April 2025 for allegedly breaking into someone's home. Nimesh was then taken to the Welikada police station in the suburbs of Colombo and then to a mental health facility, where he died the following morning.

The police told his mother, Samanthi, that her son had tried to kill himself, claiming he struggled with mental issues. However, the family members refused to accept the police version of events.

Following Nimesh’s death, the Officer-in-Charge of the Welikada Police Station was removed from duty, and a police sergeant and constable were suspended due to alleged neglect of duty.

The death of Sathsara Nimesh has ignited a national conversation about police brutality, the lack of accountability, and the urgent need for reforms in Sri Lanka’s law enforcement system. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka reported a total of 24 custodial deaths and 13 deaths during police encounters between January 2020 and August 2023.

Thousands of Aragalaya protesters continue to face legal action

In February 2025, civil society group Law and Society Trust (LST) wrote to the government about nearly 3,000 individuals who were arrested in the aftermath of the Aragalaya protests. Some remain in police custody while others have unresolved cases hanging over them, preventing them from travelling or taking on employment, and they are generally subjected to harassment by the police.

According to LST, the laws deployed to arrest, harass and intimidate protesters include the Penal Code; Police Ordinance No. 16 of 1865 (Amended); Offences against Public Property Act No. 12 of 198; Antiquities Ordinance No. 09 of 1940 (Amended); Public Security Ordinance No. 25 of 1947; Judicature Act No. 02 of 1989; National Thoroughfares Act No. 40 of 2008 (Amended); Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act and the Computer Crime Act No. 24 of 2007 – Offences.

There has been little to no progress in a majority of these cases. A vast majority of the cases are still ‘under investigation’; in some cases charge sheets have been served, and only a handful are at the trial stage.

LST has called on the government to review all police action (arrest, torture, prosecution and travel bans) in these cases currently pending before Court within six months.

Expression

Journalists continue to face harassment and restrictions

Press freedom remains a concern in Sri Lanka and the country is ranked at 139th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders 2025 press freedom index launch in May.

In April 2025, while reporting at the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court, Fazir Mohamed, the Secretary of the Young Journalists Association and a reporter for the Satahan media, was obstructed by police officers working there and dragged out of the courtroom. The outlet had previously reported on police torture.

In May 2025, photojournalist Lahiru Harshana was allegedly forced to remove a photograph of President Dissanayake, which had been published on his personal Facebook page, due to external pressure to do so by the President’s Media Division. The photo was taken by the journalist during the National People’s Power May Day rally. It showed President Dissanayake addressing a rally at Galle Face on 1st May with his hands raised and mouth open. In the background, a stage decoration featuring the hammer and sickle - the emblem of communism - is visible.

In the same month, The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) condemned the government’s decision to make state-issued identity cards mandatory for journalists, calling it a serious threat to press freedom and an attempt to control the media.

Ongoing impunity for killing of journalists

In February 2025, the Attorney General, Parinda Ranasinghe, issued a letter to the effect that legal proceedings against three suspects involved in the 2009 brutal murder of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, will be halted, paving the way for their release. This shocking move raises serious concerns about accountability and the rule of law.

Wickrematunge, editor-in-chief of the weekly The Sunday Leader, was a prominent senior Sri Lankan journalist known for his critical reporting on the government. In January 2009, eight helmeted men on four motorcycles forced Lasantha Wickrematunge’s car to the side of a busy street outside Colombo and beat him with a blunt object. He died in a local hospital a few hours later.

Civil society groups have called on the president to reopen or initiate prompt, impartial and transparent investigations to ensure accountability in cases of violence against the press. Dozens of murders, abductions and physical attacks on journalists and media offices have taken place during and in the aftermath of the country’s 26-year civil war that ended in 2009.

Government decides to retain the Online Safety Act with amendments

In May 2025, the government decided to retain the Online Safety Act and to appoint a committee to make amendments to the law. This runs contrary to the promises made by the party during the presidential elections to abolish the act altogether.

As previously documented, the Online Safety Act is inconsistent with international human rights standards and the Constitution and provides broad powers to an ‘Online Safety Commission’ including deciding on what constitutes “prohibited statements” and making recommendations to internet service providers to remove such content and disabling access for those deemed offenders.

The Act also includes a prohibition on ‘communicating a false statement’ which poses a threat to national security, public health or public order or promotes feelings of ill-will and hostility between different classes of people or voluntarily causes disturbance to any assembly lawfully engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies.