Mirusuvil massacre : Travel ban imposed on former army officer

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has issued an overseas travel ban against former army officer Sunil Ratnayake, who was on death row over the Mirusuvil massacre.

The order was issued after taking up for consideration several petitions that had been filed challenging former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to grant a presidential pardon to Ratnayake in March 2020. 

The Supreme Court further granted all parties in the case 08 weeks to file any written submissions and has reserved delivery of the final judgement in the case for thereafter.  

Former army officer Sunil Ratnayake was convicted of the murder of 8 civilians at Mirusuvil in Jaffna in December 2000 and was sentenced to death in the year 2015.

In 2020, then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa pardoned and released Sunil Ratnayake. 

Petitions were filed by the family members of the victims of the Mirusuvil massacre and the Centre for Policy Alternatives challenging the presidential pardon. (Islandnews)