In an exclusive interview with Channel 4 News, Navi Pillay urged the Sri Lankan government to “provide immediate protection” for Faraz Shaukatally, who is currently in intensive care after being shot by three unidentified gunmen on Friday night.
Ms Pillay said: “It’s an act of attempted assassination so he needs to be protected immediately.”
Mr Shauketaly, 52, who holds joint British and Sri Lankan citizenship, is a reporter for the Sri Lankan newspaper The Sunday Leader.
Ms Pillay said “I’m deeply disturbed by this particular shooting because it’s a journalist and he’s attached to a newspaper that’s known to be critical of the government - particularly on accountability and in justice issues - which are issues that I cover. And I will be reporting to the Human Rights Council my concern over extra judicial killings, abductions and this kind of treatment and suppression of freedom of expression.”
The newspaper’s editor Sakunthala Perera said the journalist was shot while he was on the telephone discussing a story due to appear in this week’s edition.
Police said three men broke into his house and opened fire on him while he was in his bedroom. The journalist, whose family live in Colywn Bay in Wales, was rushed to hospital with bullet wounds in his neck. (Channel4)
