London - Professor Lukman Thalib's legal team have submitted an urgent application to the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the Optional Protocol 1 to the UN Covenant on Civil and Political rights, seeking to uphold Dr Thalib's fundamental rights.
This follows a sustained campaign in Sri Lankan media and through official government statements that maliciously connected Professor Thalib to the perpetrators of the deadly Easter Sunday attack in 2019. These false allegations, which are officially documented in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the attacks, have put the life of Professor Thalib and the wellbeing of his family in imminent danger.
Professor Thalib’s defamation also comes as the Government of Sri Lanka ramps up its policy of persecution against the Muslim minority in the country.
Professor Thalib’s legal team said:
“In order to uphold Prof. Thalib’s rights the legal team applied to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The legal team sincerely hopes that the Human Rights Committee will give a due consideration to our application. Furthermore, the legal team hopes to bring the current gross and systematic violations of human rights that have been committed by the current Sri Lankan government to the attention of the UN Human Rights Bodies.”
“Preparatory work continues for other applications and lawsuits in order to put an end to the injustices he is facing and for justice to be served.”
Naila Ahmed, Casework Manager for CAGE said:
“Our client, Professor Thalib, has not been offered any opportunity to reject the allegations prior to them being unethically leaked to the press and officially published in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry report. This flies in the face of any semblance of due process and is a flagrant violation of the right to a fair hearing. We call on the UN Human Rights council to act robustly to end Sri Lanka’s defamation of Professor Thalib.”
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>London</em> - Professor Lukman Thalib's legal team have submitted an urgent application to the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the Optional Protocol 1 to the UN Covenant on Civil and Political rights, seeking to uphold Dr Thalib's fundamental rights.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">This follows a sustained campaign in Sri Lankan media and through official government statements that maliciously connected Professor Thalib to the perpetrators of the deadly Easter Sunday attack in 2019. These false allegations, which are officially documented in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the attacks, have put the life of Professor Thalib and the wellbeing of his family in imminent danger.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Professor Thalib’s defamation also comes as the Government of Sri Lanka ramps up its policy of persecution against the Muslim minority in the country.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
<h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Professor Thalib’s legal team said:</strong></h3>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“In order to uphold Prof. Thalib’s rights the legal team applied to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The legal team sincerely hopes that the Human Rights Committee will give a due consideration to our application. Furthermore, the legal team hopes to bring the current gross and systematic violations of human rights that have been committed by the current Sri Lankan government to the attention of the UN Human Rights Bodies.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Preparatory work continues for other applications and lawsuits in order to put an end to the injustices he is facing and for justice to be served.”</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Naila Ahmed, Casework Manager for CAGE said:</strong></h3>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Our client, Professor Thalib, has not been offered any opportunity to reject the allegations prior to them being unethically leaked to the press and officially published in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry report. This flies in the face of any semblance of due process and is a flagrant violation of the right to a fair hearing. We call on the UN Human Rights council to act robustly to end Sri Lanka’s defamation of Professor Thalib.”</p>
