Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Friday issued a summons to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over a presidential pardon for a soldier convicted of killing eight Tamils, including children, in 2000.
The move comes just five months after the Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling overturning a presidential pardon granted to Mr. Rajapaksa, 74, a 74-year-old aide convicted of murder. This is the first such lawsuit since the presidential form of government was introduced in 1978. Island country.
Friday's summons was given to Sunil Ratnayake, a soldier convicted of killing eight Tamils, including children, in Millsville in northern Jaffna district in 2000 during an armed conflict with the LTTE.Rajapaksa in 2020 Related to pardons.
rajapaksaMr. Ratnayake, who was ousted in mid-2022 following a popular uprising against him, will have to respond to the court over its decision to pardon Mr. Ratnayake in response to a fundamental rights petition. The next public hearing is scheduled for September.
Mr. Ratnayake was also ordered to appear alongside Mr. Rajapaksa at a hearing in September.
On January 15, the Supreme Court overturned Rajapaksa's pardon for close political aide Duminda Silva, who was sentenced to death in 2011 for killing a local political opponent of the same party. The pardon was challenged by relatives of Silva's victim Bharata Lakshman Premachandra.
After Rajapaksa's pardon was revoked, Silva was returned to prison to complete his sentence.
Under Article 34 of the Sri Lankan Constitution, the President has the power to grant pardons subject to prescribed procedures.
