On 22 February 2011, Ms. U. A. Somawathi was released from Welikada Prison, Colombo, after spending nine years in pre-trial detention. Her release was secured by Ms. Harshi Perera, JusticeMaker 2010. Harshi’s project focuses on the representation and release of five female inmates of Welikada prison, all of whom have been awaiting trial for years. [...]

1. Please introduce yourself, briefly. I am Lionel Weerasinghe, Correctional Professional Commissioner. I retired after serving 34 years in the governments Prison Department. My retiring position was Commissioner of Prisons (Welfare). I am a University Graduate and did my Post Graduate studies at Sri Jayawardenapura University, in Criminology and Criminal Justice. 2. What is your opinion about Women’s Wards [...]

Sri Lankan JusticeMaker Fellow Harshi Perera organized a Public Legal Rights Awareness Session with former pre-trial detainees and their families. The two-hour discussion was held on November 13 in the Janasansadaya sub-office in the city of Galle. The coordinator of the Galle JS sub-office Niluka Priyadarshani also attended the event. All participants have experience with [...]

Ms. N. D. Anulawathi was released from Welikada Prison, outside Colombo, on 29th October 2010.  Anulawathi was arrested for possession of heroin and incarcerated in the women’s ward for 26 months. Soon after the arrest of her husband, a drug addict who supported his habit by selling narcotics, Anulawathi was herself taken into custody. According to [...]

On September 4 2010, Mohamed Nowsan, a 28 year old father of one, was arrested and interred in Tengalle prison. He claims that the charges against him were fabricated by the police and that upon arrest he was beaten by the officers. Mohamed was imprisoned in Ward 3 of Tengalle prison in a cell designed [...]

On October 19 JusticeMaker Harshi Perera successfully secured the release of a female inmate, Nilmini Pushpakumari. Nilmini was interred in Welikada women’s ward on charges of selling heroine. Upon arrest, Nilmini was sent to jail with her eight month old daughter. Nilmini’s release was secured by Harshi paying the bail money of Rs.15, 000/- (USD135) and [...]

(October 20, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Kumari is a 23 years old mother of one child. She was in remand prison along with her one year and eight month old baby girl. They have been in the prison for more than a year now. The child is being kept with pre-trial detainees and convicted felons including [...]

(October 09, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Anulawathi is a 47-year-old grandmother with two grand children from Bokundara. Now she is a pre trial detainee at the women’s ward in a Colombo prison where she has been for more than two years now. According to Anulawathi her husband was a drug addict and also engaged in the [...]

Sri Lankan NGO Janasansadaya released this two part EU-funded documentary film with English subtitles.

Part 1:

Part 2:

(September 30, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Madu is a 20-year-old resident of Kaduwela. She is married and a mother of a three year old baby girl who is now placed under the care of her mother in law. Her father was a drunkard since she was a child and her mother is a heart patient. One [...]

(September 28, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Susani is a resident of Narahenpita. When she was a child her mother abandoned her and her father to live with another man. Both her parents were imprisoned on several occasions for various crimes which included drug peddling and robberies. Thus, Susani’s childhood memories of her parents are not pleasant. When [...]

(September 25, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Nalani is a 58-year-old mother of five children from the southern part of Sri Lanka. On 13 April this year at around 8.30pm several criminals had entered her house forcefully and robbed her of her belongings including jewels, four mobile phones, and a camera. These criminals assaulted both her and her [...]

(September 21, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Arukgoda Kankanamge Dotee is a 50-year-old mother from Kalutara South. Fourteen years ago her husband died and her son, a soldier in the Sri Lankan army was killed. Her only daughter, Samitha Madawi (17) is a school student. On 26 March, 2010, Andaradige Don Priyankara, a clerk of the Kalutara High [...]