The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmed Shaheed, who was on a mission to Sri Lanka from August 15th to 26th, cautioned not to ignore the 'simmering' ethnic and religious tensions in the island country.
Presenting a preliminary report at the end of his 12-day mission today, the UN expert called on the government to prosecute those responsible for violence and incitement to violence, make efforts to dismantle the networks of hate, and facilitate access to justice to victims of hate crimes.
The Special Rapporteur will present a report containing his conclusions and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2020.
