UN urges criminal probe into Chemmani graves
COLOMBO – Excavations at the Chemmani mass grave site should not be viewed as criminal investigations in themselves, a senior official attached to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has said, stressing that existing evidence is sufficient to initiate formal criminal inquiries into the deaths.
Johann Soufi, Head of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project at the OHCHR, made the remarks during a virtual discussion held from Geneva on Thursday (30), organized as a follow-up to the International Truth and Justice Project’s (ITJP) recent report, ‘Chemmani Human Remains Committee: We Are Still Searching’.
Responding to a question from ITJP Executive Director Yasmin Sooka, Soufi said there is a clear distinction between forensic excavations and criminal investigations.
“Excavations are carried out to recover human remains and ensure they are treated with dignity. Criminal investigations, however, are intended to establish what happened, who was responsible and when the deaths occurred,” he said.
Soufi noted that the evidence emerging from the Chemmani excavations, together with testimony from convicted individuals, points to the likelihood that those buried at the site were victims of unlawful killings rather than natural deaths.
“The information currently available provides sufficient grounds to open criminal investigations,” he said, adding that determining the circumstances surrounding the deaths should be the immediate priority.
He also referred to the 2015 investigation by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which identified enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka as among the most serious human rights violations committed during the conflict.
Soufi urged the Sri Lankan authorities to conduct comprehensive criminal investigations into the Chemmani findings and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
He said the Sri Lanka Accountability Project would continue to advocate for credible investigations and remains ready to provide any necessary support to the authorities.
-ENCL
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