Sri Lanka - August 2022

The Sri Lankan government, led by newly appointed President Ranil Wickremesinghe, continued its crackdown on protesters involved in the movement that led to the former President’s removal in July. The repeated use of State of Emergency measures, which the government extended on 27 July to the 18 August, is said to have empowered troops to arrest and detain suspects for long periods. Three student activists were arrested on 18 August under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), while dozens of top protest leaders continue to be harassed and face arbitrary arrests.

Sources: Al Jazeera (1), Daily Financial Times, Human Rights Watch, Al Jazeera (2)