The Global Sri Lankan Forum has called on the President to urgently intervene on humanitarian grounds regarding the deteriorating health condition of former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay.
In a letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the organization requested that investigations involving Major General Suresh Sallay be expedited through transparent judicial proceedings rather than prolonged administrative detention.
The Forum also urged the President to pay immediate attention to Sallay’s continued detention and worsening health condition, calling for humanitarian intervention.
The organization noted that Sallay had dedicated decades of his life as a senior military officer to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and national security, and stressed that no individual should be subjected to extended detention without a formal indictment.
According to the letter, if any unfortunate incident were to occur to Major General Suresh Sallay while being detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), responsibility would inevitably fall on the authorities that issued the detention order, including the President’s office.
The Global Sri Lankan Forum further called on the President to ensure Sallay receives uninterrupted access to the highest standard of medical care and that his safety is strictly guaranteed.
While it fully supports the administration's mandate to pursue comprehensive, transparent and fair investigations into the tragic 2019 Easter Sunday attacks to achieve long-awaited justice for the victims, the Forum noted that it firmly believes that the mechanisms used to achieve justice must reflect the highest standards of the rule of law.
Therefore, on behalf of the global Sri Lankan diaspora, the Global Sri Lankan Forum requested the President and the government to ensure Major General Sallay receives unimpeded access to top-tier medical care, that his safety is robustly guaranteed, and that his legal case is expedited via standard, transparent judicial channels rather than prolonged administrative detention.
Former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay, who is being investigated in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attacks, remains under treatment at the National Hospital in Colombo after being admitted following a hunger strike while in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
