The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) has strongly condemned a life-threatening call received by the mother of Kapila Kumara de Silva, a forcibly disappeared activist. The threat occurred at 12:28 AM on Friday, just a day after CPRP lodged a complaint with the Attorney General under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance Act No. 5 of 2018.
The caller warned, “We are not afraid to file a case. We will destroy your families,” in Sinhala. The threat was reported to the Ahangama Police on Saturday, under complaint number CIB 5 285/109. The call originated from the number 0775379878, and a subsequent call from the same number was received at the police station at 2:37 PM but was disconnected.
This case marks the first complaint under the International Convention No. 5 of 2018, an agreement adopted by the UN Human Rights Council, which Sri Lanka has committed to enforcing. CPRP asserts that such threats jeopardize Sri Lanka’s credibility on the international stage, especially with the UN Human Rights Council’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project (SLAP) monitoring the situation.
CPRP views these threats as attempts to obstruct justice and calls on the government to protect witnesses and victims, stressing that all citizens should have equal access to the law. The organization urges immediate legal action against those responsible for these threats and expresses deep concern for the safety of those involved in the case.