PTA, ICCPR Act fostered culture of abuse and torture: Saliya Pieris

Colombo, June 8 (Daily Mirror) - Former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and first Chairman of the Office on Missing Persons Saliya Pieris, PC said that lawyers and human rights advocates had long condemned the abuse of laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act, and Emergency Regulations by successive governments.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Pieris reiterated the need for equal application of constitutional safeguards and human rights protections, regardless of the identity of the individual concerned.

He stated that these laws had frequently been used to keep individuals in custody for prolonged and unnecessary periods and had contributed to a culture of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in police stations and prisons.

He stressed that decisions relating to detention should be made by judges acting according to law rather than by executive officials.

“That is why detention in custody must be left to be decided by judges acting according to law rather than executive functionaries, whether they be Presidents, Ministers, Secretaries or Police Officers,” he said.

The former BASL President observed that some individuals who had previously defended or implemented these laws now find themselves subjected to the same legal provisions.

He further stated that some who once advocated the repeal of such laws had later relied on and enforced them after assuming positions of authority.

However, Pieris maintained that constitutional rights and legal protections must apply equally to everyone, irrespective of the allegations against them or their social or political standing.

“Every person is entitled to human dignity, the protection of the law and the freedoms guaranteed by Article 11 of the Constitution,” he said.