SC dismisses petition by ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa

The Supreme Court today (19) dismissed a fundamental rights petition filed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, challenging the government’s decision to reduce his security detail to 60 personnel without proper evaluation.

The Court issued this order after considering the details of the petition filed on behalf of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The case was initially taken up for consideration on February 6, with the Supreme Court deciding to reconvene on March 19, 2025, to review the petition. 

The petition sought the redeployment of his security detail, which had been reduced.

President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, representing Rajapaksa, presented facts and argued that the reduction in security had been made without a proper security assessment. 

The President’s Counsel further stated that decisions about reducing or increasing security should be made based on a formal evaluation of security needs.

The petition, filed by Rajapaksa’s attorneys on January 24, claimed that the reduction of his security personnel violated his fundamental rights. 

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and other members of the Cabinet of Ministers had been named as respondents in the petition.  

The petition alleged that the security detail had been reduced to 60 personnel, with no armed forces personnel assigned for his protection, leaving only police officers for his security.

Rajapaksa, who played a key role in ending the country’s nearly three-decade-long civil war, expressed concerns about ongoing threats to his life, including potential terrorist threats. 

He requested the Court to determine that his fundamental human rights were violated by the arbitrary reduction of his security detail.

Accordingly, despite these claims, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition without taking it up for hearing.