The police have rejected allegations of torture of detainees raised in a US human rights report released by the State Department. Acting police spokesman Priyashantha Jayakody said that the police undergo training in maintaining human rights when carrying out their duties.
“There have not been such reports in recent times,” the police spokesman said.
He said that if such alleged incidents of torture or abuse of detainees does take place then complaints can be lodged with the Human Rights Commission or raised in Court.
An annual human rights report released by the US State Department has slammed the police in Sri Lanka for alleged torture and abuse of people while in detention.
The Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2012 states that in Sri Lanka the law makes torture a punishable offense and mandates a sentence of not less than seven years’ and not more than 10 years’ imprisonment.
However, the report says there were credible reports that police and security forces tortured and abused citizens. The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) allows for confessions from torture to be admitted as evidence.
(Colombo Gazette)
