• The UN’s statement comes after reports that a State Minister had gone to the Anuradhapura Prison and had got two prisoners there to kneel in front of him

By Sunil Jayasiri

While condemning ‘any ill-treatment of prisoners’, the United Nation yesterday said that ‘the duty of the State was to protect the rights of prisoners'.

“It is the duty of the State, as per the #MandelaRules, to protect the rights of prisoners, “ Resident Coordinator of the UN in Sri Lanka, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said. “In our work on prison reform and drug rehabilitation, UN SriLanka works to strengthen capacities to uphold the rights of all those in custody & condemns any  ill-treatment of  prisoners,” she tweeted. 

The UN’s statement comes after reports that a State Minister had gone to the Anuradhapura Prison and had got two prisoners there to kneel in front of him.