The Mahara Prison shooting has reportedly left several inmates dead and others injured, prompting urgent calls for human rights intervention.
The reported Mahara Prison shooting has left several inmates dead and many others injured, according to the Committee for Protecting Prisoners’ Rights.
In an emergency notice, the CPRP said a highly serious situation had developed inside the prison. The organisation said it had received information that several inmates had lost their lives.
The committee alleged that prison officials were shooting at inmates. It also claimed that officials were preventing other prisoners from approaching and assisting those who had suffered injuries.
The CPRP described the atmosphere inside the prison as frightening and extremely serious from a humanitarian perspective.
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Human Rights Team Urged to Enter Mahara Prison
The organisation called on the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to dispatch a team to Mahara Prison without delay.
It said the commission has the legal authority to enter the premises, intervene in the situation and help protect inmates’ lives.
The CPRP has also informed Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara and Director General of Prisons Chandana Ekanayake about the reported developments.
The committee urged all relevant authorities to intervene immediately, establish transparency inside the prison and protect those in custody.
It said urgent independent action remained necessary because of the seriousness of the allegations surrounding the Mahara Prison shooting.
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Extremely Urgent Notice | Mahara Prison | 8:00 PM
Information has been received that several deaths have occurred within the Mahara Prison and that many inmates have been injured.
It is further reported that prison officials are firing shots and preventing inmates from assisting the injured. If this is true, it is a very serious and terrifying situation.
Since they (the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission) are the only authority currently empowered to enter those premises, we request that a team be dispatched to Mahara Prison without delay.
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Emergency Update | Mahara Prison | 9:14 PM
The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners has made a request to the Human Rights Commission, which has the authority to enter the Mahara Prison premises, urging them to dispatch a team there without delay.
Furthermore, we have brought these matters to the attention of the Minister of Justice, Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, and also to the attention of the Director General of Prison Affairs, Mr. Chandana Ekanayake.
We request all relevant authorities to take immediate action to protect lives and ensure transparency.
