Sri Lanka must strengthen its National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) and take concrete action to address continuing risks of torture and ill-treatment faced by people deprived of their liberty, the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) said following its second official visit to the country.
The SPT said it remained concerned about prolonged pre-trial detention, overcrowding and inadequate conditions in detention facilities and other locations where individuals are held in custody. The delegation stated that several recommendations made after its first visit in 2019 have yet to be fully implemented, despite more than seven years having passed since that assessment.
“More than seven years after our initial visit, several of our previous recommendations have yet to be fully implemented, and people deprived of their liberty have yet to see any meaningful improvement in their situation,” said Aisha Shujune Muhammad, who led the SPT delegation during the mission.
The delegation visited Sri Lanka from 14 to 25 June 2026 to evaluate the country’s progress in implementing recommendations issued after the 2019 visit. The mission also sought to engage directly with the country’s National Preventive Mechanism and assess the treatment of detainees as well as the safeguards intended to prevent torture and ill-treatment.
During the visit, SPT members carried out unannounced inspections at a range of detention facilities, including prisons, police stations, remand centres, rehabilitation facilities and other places where people are deprived of their liberty. The delegation also met with government officials, members of the National Preventive Mechanism, representatives of civil society and other United Nations agencies.
According to the SPT, legal safeguards designed to protect detainees do not consistently operate in practice, despite their existence in law. The delegation linked this to broader challenges within Sri Lanka’s justice system and stated that the absence of an independent investigative mechanism contributes to a climate of impunity.
Muhammad said an independent, adequately resourced and effectively functioning National Preventive Mechanism is essential for preventing torture and ill-treatment. She stated that further concrete measures are required to strengthen the mechanism, adding that obligations under the Optional Protocol extend beyond formally designating an oversight body and include ensuring its continued independence, effectiveness and operational capacity.
Following the conclusion of the visit, the SPT said it will submit a confidential report to the Government of Sri Lanka outlining its observations and recommendations. Under established procedures, the report will remain confidential unless the Sri Lankan government decides to make it public.
The SPT encouraged Sri Lanka to publish both the forthcoming report and the report from its previous visit, stating that doing so would promote transparency, accountability and public discussion on measures to prevent torture and ill-treatment.
The delegation comprised Aisha Shujune Muhammad of the Maldives as head of delegation, Jakub Julian Czepek of Poland, Nika Kvaratskhelia of Georgia, Anica Tomsic of Croatia, and two human rights officers from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
