The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has launched a special investigation into the incident reported at the Mahara Prison yesterday (01).

The Human Rights Commission said a three-member investigation team visited the prison today (02) and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Meanwhile, representatives of the International Human Rights Organization Sri Lanka (IHRO) also visited Mahara Prison to examine the situation and assess the conditions following the incident.

Speaking on the matter, the organization’s Executive Director, Subashana Subawickrama said concerns had emerged over whether the incident was carried out as part of a planned operation.

“Damage amounting to tens of millions of rupees has been caused. At present, the facility is not in a condition suitable for inmates to remain there, as everything has been destroyed and completely damaged.

“We need to establish whether this happened due to the actions or demands of the inmates, or whether it was carried out for the benefit of another party.

“This is not something that could have been done by a few individuals inside a single room. Given the scale of the destruction, we strongly believe that this may have been the result of a planned act,” he said.

The ongoing investigations by the Human Rights Commission are expected to examine the circumstances that led to the incident and identify those responsible.

A tense situation broke out inside Mahara Prison last afternoon (01), with security forces bringing the situation under control by around 6:00 a.m. today (02).

According to reports, a number of prison properties were damaged during the unrest. One inmate died while six others sustained injuries.