Extrajudicial Killings
However Sri Lanka's president has cited constitutional immunity and refused to go before a US court where he is being sued for $30 million over the killing of a Tamil man, an official said yesterday.
A US-based Tamil lobby had filed the case claiming damages from him as commander-in-chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces for the alleged killing of Raghiar Manoharan, a member of the island's ethnic Tamil minority.
The alleged killings took place during the Sri Lankan civil war.
"Under our laws, the president has immunity," justice ministry secretary Suhada Gamlath told AFP.
"We don't have to respond to such summons and I have written to the District Court of the Southern District of Columbia of our legal position last week," Gamlath said.
Sri Lanka is facing mounting international criticism over alleged war crimes committed in the final months of its battle against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels who were defeated in May 2009.
The UN and rights groups have said that they had "credible allegations" that thousands of civilians were killed by government troops.
Rajapaksa summoned by US court
The Tigers were also accused of crimes against humanity during their separatist war.
Sri Lanka's justice ministry received a summons issued by a US federal court for President Mahinda Rajapaksa linking him with a extrajudicial murder case filed under the Hague convention by relatives of Tamil victims.However Sri Lanka's president has cited constitutional immunity and refused to go before a US court where he is being sued for $30 million over the killing of a Tamil man, an official said yesterday.
A US-based Tamil lobby had filed the case claiming damages from him as commander-in-chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces for the alleged killing of Raghiar Manoharan, a member of the island's ethnic Tamil minority.
The alleged killings took place during the Sri Lankan civil war.
"Under our laws, the president has immunity," justice ministry secretary Suhada Gamlath told AFP.
"We don't have to respond to such summons and I have written to the District Court of the Southern District of Columbia of our legal position last week," Gamlath said.
Sri Lanka is facing mounting international criticism over alleged war crimes committed in the final months of its battle against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels who were defeated in May 2009.
The UN and rights groups have said that they had "credible allegations" that thousands of civilians were killed by government troops.
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