Mahinda Rajapaksa avoids indictment over 2022 protest attacks

Sri Lanka’s Attorney General, Parinda Ranasinghe, has declined to indict former President Mahinda Rajapaksa regarding the May 9, 2022, attacks on peaceful protesters at Galle Face Green. At the time of the incident, Rajapaksa was serving as Prime Minister. The Attorney General concluded that the evidence provided by investigators was insufficient to prosecute him for the violence that occurred during the Aragalaya protest movement.

While Rajapaksa will not face charges, the Attorney General is proceeding against 31 other suspects. These individuals face a single indictment containing 327 counts, including attempted murder, membership of an unlawful assembly, and causing grievous bodily harm. The case is expected to be filed in the Colombo High Court, with a request made to the Chief Justice to appoint a High Court Trial-at-Bar to hear the matter.

The decision has sparked significant debate regarding political accountability in Sri Lanka. Critics and civil society groups argue the outcome reflects a pattern of senior political figures avoiding legal consequences for political violence, while supporters of Rajapaksa maintain he held no personal criminal responsibility for the actions of those attending the rally.