Centre for Human Rights and Research Sri Lanka has strongly condemned the government and key justice ministry officials for failing to manage chronic prison overcrowding following deadly unrest at Mahara Prison.
The human rights group pointed to Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara and Ministry Secretary Ayesha Jinasena, stating they failed to safeguard the lives of inmates and officers.
Gunfire and building fires broke out inside the complex, prompting chaotic scenes outside as families attempted to breach barricades.
Security forces used water cannons and imposed a local police curfew. Reports from prisoner rights advocates indicated multiple deaths and casualties, alleging officers opened fire and prevented inmates from helping the injured.
The Mahar Prison unrest comes after deadly riots at Negombo Prison which claimed around thirty lives.
Rights monitors stressed that these events stem directly from administrative delays under the Ministry of Justice, with Sri Lankan prisons operating at up to five times their design capacity.
At the time of the unrest, Mahara held over four thousand prisoners, while facilities such as Welikada, Colombo Remand, Magazine, and Negombo held thousands past their limits.
A National Audit Office investigation identified prolonged delays in obtaining Government Analyst reports as a primary driver, leaving over fifteen thousand suspects detained without resolution.
Additionally, nearly two thousand inmates remain incarcerated simply because they cannot afford small fines. Audit findings also indicated that housing drug offenders alongside the general population has allowed organized crime networks to thrive behind bars.
The executive director of the organisation, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, stated that the state bears full responsibility for protecting lives in custody and called for immediate access for the Human Rights Commission.
He demanded an independent investigation into forensic delays, fine related detentions, and overall management, urging the government to publish a clear timeline to reduce overcrowding to safe levels.
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