Families of victims forcibly conscripted into Russian Army protest outside Presidential Secretariat

By Safrah Fazal  

Families of victims trafficked into Russia and forcibly conscripted into the Russian army, alongside activists, gathered outside the Presidential Secretariat on January 6, 2025, urging authorities to intervene and bring their loved ones home.  

On December 2, 2024, the victims’ families formally submitted complaints to the Russian Embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office, UN organisations, and the National Task Force on Human Trafficking. However, the families noted that the Russian Embassy in Colombo refused to accept the complaint, claiming no connection to the matter and directing the families to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow. On the same day, the Presidential Secretariat instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take immediate action. The families also said that despite communication with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra, who assured the families that the victims would be brought back soon, a month has passed without any updates or information on the actions taken by the Ministry. Meanwhile, contact with their loved ones in the war zone has been lost, and no tangible progress appears to have been made.  

“This prolonged silence has raised serious concerns and suspicions. We now fear that a mafia or other illicit entities may be involved with state officials’ support. We are increasingly doubtful that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the capability to resolve this issue effectively. On January 1, the President launched the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme, addressing government negligence and calling for accountability.

 The mafia trafficking young men to Russia has clearly passed through immigration and other airport checkpoints, suggesting that some high-ranking government officials may be complicit in this human trafficking operation,” the families stated in their letters to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath.  

Officials at the Presidential Secretariat, who met with the families and activists, assured them that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake would be informed of the matter.  

The families and activists also staged a protest outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before meeting with Deputy Minister Hemachandra. Minister Hemachandra acknowledged the gravity of the issue, emphasising the need for greater awareness. He further assured that a CID investigation would be launched and that diplomatic negotiations would be pursued to bring the victims back safely. Activists also strongly appealed for preventive measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur, as people continue to be trafficked to Russia and Ukraine to fight in wars.