We, the undersigned civil society organizations, respectfully urge States Parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Convention against Torture) to take action against Sri Lanka for violations of the Convention, in solidarity with Sri Lanka’s victims of torture and other ill-treatment, who have endured impunity for decades. Sri Lanka joined the Convention in 1994.

Since 1979, Sri Lanka has used the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to arbitrarily arrest and detain, forcibly disappear, and torture individuals, disproportionately targeting Tamils. During the internal armed conflict (1983–2009), Sri Lankan security forces’ torture and other ill-treatment of Tamil detainees was “endemic,” widespread, and systematic, with many subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence. Tens of thousands of Tamils were forcibly disappeared, which can, under certain circumstances, constitute torture or other ill-treatment of the disappeared person. The vast majority of their families still do not know what happened due to the government’s deliberate withholding of information about the fates and whereabouts of the disappeared, which may constitute torture and other ill-treatment. According to United Nations investigations, there are credible allegations that during the final stage of the armed conflict, the Sri Lankan government deliberately denied the Tamil civilian population’s access to food, medical care, and other humanitarian assistance, despite knowing the increasingly desperate situation of civilians, conduct that could amount to torture and other ill-treatment.

Sri Lanka’s own National Human Rights Commission, in its 2016 submission to the UN Committee against Torture, noted that “torture is routinely used in all parts of the country regardless of the nature of the suspected offence for which the person is arrested.” Since the end of the armed conflict, multiple UN human rights mechanisms have reported on security forces’ torture and other ill-treatment of Tamil detainees, including the Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). OHCHR recorded allegations of security forces’ torture, other ill-treatment, and sexual violence against Tamils, mainly in the Northern Province, as recently as 2024. Also, OHCHR’s August 2025 report on Sri Lanka noted that UN human rights mechanisms “have repeatedly raised concerns about the routine use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment,” which may have resulted in several deaths in custody.

All the while, impunity has been deeply entrenched over successive Sri Lankan administrations. For example, in May 2025, the current government falsely claimed that “civilians were protected at all times” by the military during the war’s final months. Impunity has also contributed to the continuing prevalence of torture and other ill-treatment in detention.

Absent meaningful progress on domestic criminal justice, international justice remains the best option available to victims. Unfortunately, international efforts to hold alleged Sri Lankan perpetrators accountable have not yielded prosecutions for torture or other international crimes. Sri Lanka is not a party to the Rome Statute, which critically limits the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over situations involving Sri Lanka, and universal jurisdiction cases filed against those most responsible have also been unsuccessful.

Recognizing these challenges to criminal justice, in 2024 and 2025, OHCHR recommended that States “[c]onsider using other international legal options to advance accountability in Sri Lanka,” including via relevant human rights treaties providing for proceedings before the International Court of Justice.

In light of the above, we respectfully urge States Parties to the Convention against Torture to use Article 30 to commence a formal dispute with Sri Lanka concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention. States Parties can take action regarding Sri Lanka’s failure to comply with its obligations to:

• • • Prevent torture and other ill-treatment,
    • Prosecute or extradite alleged perpetrators, and
    • Provide redress and reparations to victims, such as compensation, acknowledgment of breaches, formal apologies for breaches, or other appropriate modalities, such as the truth about the fates and whereabouts of the disappeared.

Thank you for your prompt consideration of this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Amnesty International
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Australian Centre for International Justice
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
Human Rights Watch
New Lines Institute
People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL)
Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace & Justice
Strategic Litigation Project