Rights Group Pushes Government for Compensation to Families of Inmates Killed in Prison Riot

The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners has called on the government to compensate families of 22 inmates who died during the Negombo Prison riot in July, citing the administration's commitment to prisoner welfare.

A civil rights organization has renewed pressure on Sri Lanka's government to provide financial compensation to the families of 22 inmates who lost their lives during disturbances at Negombo Prison on 5 and 6 July. The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners submitted a formal written request to the Justice and National Integration Ministry on 21 July, but reports receiving no substantive response as of late August.

Executive Director Senaka Perera noted that the Presidential Secretariat acknowledged the matter on 11 August and directed the Justice and National Integration Ministry Secretary to investigate. However, Perera stated that officials have remained unresponsive to follow-up attempts. The group referenced President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's stated commitment that the government should assume responsibility for those held in custody, arguing this principle should extend to deceased inmates as well as their surviving but injured counterparts.

The compensation demand follows the government's decision to provide 2 million rupees to each family of 10 prison officers killed during the same incidents. Perera argued that a consistent approach demands similar support for inmate families. He also highlighted that a Committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Priyantha Fernando has been established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, though findings remain pending.

Perera emphasized that underlying systemic issues remain unresolved, noting that prisons designed to hold 11,000 people currently house approximately 43,000, with roughly 30,000 being suspects awaiting trial. He referenced past incidents at Welikada Prison in 2012 and Mahara in 2020 that resulted in inmate deaths, suggesting the current situation reflects longstanding prison management challenges that Parliament should address.