UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture to Visit Welikada Prison
Representatives of the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), who arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday (15) to conduct nationwide monitoring activities and assess safeguards against torture, are expected to visit Welikada Prison on Tuesday (16) or Wednesday (17), according to informed sources.
The four-member delegation, led by Aisha Shujune Muhammad, Chairperson of the SPT, includes Jakub Julian Szepiek, Nika Kvaratskhelia, and Anika Tomsic. The delegation will remain in Sri Lanka until June 24, 2026.
The visit marks the SPT’s first mission to Sri Lanka in approximately seven years and aims to evaluate whether authorities are following procedures designed to protect individuals deprived of their liberty or held in detention facilities.
Speaking on the visit, Aisha Shujune Muhammad noted that following the SPT’s 2019 visit, Sri Lanka established a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) to help prevent torture, describing it as an important step forward in the country’s efforts to eliminate torture.
She stated that the primary objectives of the current mission are to assess the effectiveness of the National Preventive Mechanism and review the implementation of recommendations made during previous visits.
The delegation also plans to work closely with Sri Lanka’s National Preventive Mechanism and conduct joint inspections as part of broader efforts to prevent torture and ill-treatment.
Sri Lanka ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) in 2017. Under the protocol, SPT representatives are authorized to visit member states and inspect places where people may be deprived of their liberty, either with prior notice or, in some cases, without advance notification.
During their stay, the delegation is expected to hold discussions with representatives of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the National Police Commission, the National Preventive Mechanism, and various civil society organizations.
In addition, the team will conduct visits to prisons, detention centers, and other locations where concerns regarding torture or ill-treatment may arise. As part of this programme, a visit to Welikada Prison is expected within the next two days.
