Sri Lanka’s highest court extends travel ban on former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, UK Basil Rajpaska

Earlier, the Court issued a temporary order preventing Mahinda Rajapaksa from leaving the country.

Colombo:

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Wednesday extended a travel ban imposed on former Prime Ministers Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa of the country until September 5.

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court had previously issued a temporary order preventing them from leaving the country without the court’s permission until August 11.

A petition has been filed with the Supreme Court seeking a ban on foreign travel for Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa and former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Colombo Gazette reported.

The proposal calls for an investigation to be made into individuals responsible for Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, in line with a fundamental rights petition filed with the Supreme Court.

The fundamental rights lawsuit was filed by a group that included former Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) President Chandra Jayaratne, former Sri Lankan swimming champion Julian Bolling, Jehan Kanagaratna and Transparency International Sri Lanka ( TISL).

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship has canceled a Medical visa issued to British national, Kayleigh Fraser, who posted content on social media related to the Galle Face protests.

She has also been asked to leave the country by August 15, News Wire reported.

On July 22, 2022, a large army group along with police conducted a raid near the Presidential Palace and the protest site at Galle Face to clear the area of ​​​​protesters. Several arrests have been made.

Armed soldiers were deployed to control protesters protesting against new Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe outside the premises of the Sri Lanka Presidential Office. Protesters allege that security agents raided an anti-government protest camp in the capital early Friday.

With many Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food and fuel, peaceful protests began in March. The protests led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country on July 13 and resigned today. after.

Wickremasinghe became acting president and parliament elected him the new president on 20 July with the backing of Rajapaksas’ political party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.

Sri Lanka continues to face severe shortages of fuel and other essential supplies and is in the midst of its worst economic crisis ever with soaring inflation. Oil supply shortages have forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.

Reduced domestic agricultural production, lack of foreign exchange reserves, and a devaluation of the local currency have led to shortages.

The economic crisis will push many families into hunger and poverty – some for the first time – plus the half a million people the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic.

(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a collaborative feed.)