Sri Lanka leads the world for torture, again
- Post 19 August 2017
- By Athula Vithanage
Sri Lanka is once again top in a global list of states that torture its citizens.
This is the sixth year in a row that Sri Lanka has been named as the leading state in torture.
UK based Freedom from Torture (FFT) that has helped people from 76 countries to overcome torture has met with 230 victims from Sri Lanka, last year.
The number is much higher than the torture victims from the second in the list, Iran.
FFT has seen 140 torture victims from Iran.
'Nothing changed'
"In 2016, Sri Lanka was the top country of origin for torture survivors referred to Freedom from Torture services for the sixth year in a row. These referrals include people who have been detained and tortured since the current government took office in 2015," says FFT releasing its latest report Where Does Torture Happen?
"A significant number of people have also reported being tortured when they returned to Sri Lanka after being in the UK."
Earlier, Johannesburg based International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) released details of 57 cases of abduction, torture and/or sexual violence by the Sri Lankan security forces that occurred in 2016/17.
"Everyone could say there is a new government, but there have only been a few changes of faces at the top. Rape, torture and kidnapping are still happening, nothing has changed," a torture victim from Sri Lanka was quoted by FFT.
Lead photo courtesy of Freedom From Torture
© JDS
