Advertisement
‘Every day they tortured us’: Sri Lanka urged to do more for 7 citizens freed after Russian ‘torture’
- Rights group pushes Sri Lanka to do more, take responsibility for seven Ukraine-based citizens freed recently after being detained by Russian forces
- The group – four medical students and three migrant workers – are undecided on their next steps and remains in Kharkiv
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
A Colombo-based human rights groups has called on the Sri Lankan government to do more and take responsibility for seven of its citizens who said they were captured and tortured by Russians in eastern Ukraine.
Advertisement
The seven, freed last month when Ukrainian forces retook the eastern Kharkiv region, recounted beatings and forced labour at the hands of their Russian captors. One of the victims was shot in the foot and another had his toe nail torn off.
“It’s the responsibility of the government to look into the well-being of Sri Lankans inside and outside Sri Lanka,” Ruki Fernando, human rights activist and consultant to the Centre for Society and Religion, told This Week In Asia.
“The foreign ministry and embassies, funded by Sri Lankan citizens, must contact them and do everything possible to ensure their rights, dignity and well-being,” said Fernando.
He said that based on available information, it appeared the government “has done very little to assist them”.
Advertisement