Sri Lanka’s parliament has blocked a visiting United Nations human rights expert from meeting with judges hearing war crimes cases, citing fears of foreign interference in the judicial system.
Clement Voule, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, travelled to the island nation to discuss civil rights protections in Sri Lanka.
But opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse told parliament on Tuesday (Jul 23) that Voule’s plans to meet with senior judges overseeing cases concerning military excesses during the former strongman’s tenure amounted to foreign interference.
On Wednesday parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya said he had “intervened and stopped the meeting”.
“I thank the opposition for bringing this to my notice, I have taken timely action,” Jayasuriya was quoted as saying by AFP.
UN expert Voule has so far met Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya in the presence of foreign ministry officials. He is due to leave Sri Lanka on Friday.
-Agencies
