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UN Special Rapporteur Emmerson meets PTA detainees
13 Jul, 2017
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism Ben Emmerson met Tamil political prisoners arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
Emmerson also had talks in Vavuniya with officials on the human rights situation in the North.
Emmerson is in Sri Lanka on an official visit to gather first-hand information on initiatives in the area of counter-terrorism and assess how they affect the promotion and protection of human rights.
?I will seek to provide assistance in the discussion of the country?s counter-terrorism policy and legal framework, as well as in the preparation and drafting of relevant legislative acts, with a view to ensuring that measures taken by the Government are in compliance with international human rights law,? Emmerson had said before arriving in Sri Lanka this week.
Emmerson will share his preliminary observations on his visit with the media during a press conference at the UN building in Colombo tomorrow.
The Special Rapporteur will present a comprehensive report with his findings and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2018. (Colombo Gazette)
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