The United Nations has made an urgent appeal to the government of Sri Lanka, demanding that independent human rights inspectors be given completely free access to all prisons across the country. The move follows a horrific outbreak of violence at a packed jail earlier this week.
An official investigation is now underway into the chaotic clashes that erupted on Sunday at Negombo Prison, located just north of Colombo. According to state officials, fighting between rival gangs triggered the violence. The scale of the rioting was devastating, leaving twenty inmates and eight prison guards dead.
United Nations rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that while the global body welcomes the promise of an official inquiry, the investigation needs to happen quickly, without government interference, and in full view of the public.
The UN described both the initial riot and subsequent reports of prison guards taking revenge on inmates in other facilities as deeply alarming. Ravina Shamdasani pointed out that the families of the dozens of people killed and injured, both prisoners and guards, have a right to know exactly what happened and see those responsible held to account.
The human rights chief has specifically asked the government to let the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka inside Negombo Prison without any restrictions. This request also covers other jails across the island, including facilities where authorities have recently moved prisoners and reportedly subjected them to torture and physical abuse.
For the UN, this tragedy highlights a much larger, ongoing problem with how prisons are run in Sri Lanka. The international body pointed to serious, long-standing issues that need fixing immediately, such as keeping people locked up for far too long before they even face trial, massive overcrowding, and terrible, unhealthy living conditions inside the cells.
The global organisation also noted that a huge number of people are currently behind bars for drug offences. The UN suggested that instead of simply locking these individuals away in broken prison systems, many would be far better off receiving proper healthcare, medical support, and rehabilitation.
