With no immunity, Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa faces legal troubles

By KRISHAN FRANCIS and KRUTIKA PATHI
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa could face legal action over forced disappearances of activists now that he has been stripped of constitutional immunity following his return home. Rajapaksa flew to Colombo from Thailand after fleeing protests over economic hardships seven weeks ago. He has no pending court cases because he was protected by immunity as president. However, Rajapaksa will be served a summons next week to appear at the Supreme Court where his immunity from testifying on the forced disappearance of two young political activists is challenged. That’s according to a lawyer for the victims’ families who said Rajapaksa fled the country when he was about to be served a summons in July. The disappearances are linked to to the country’s long civil war.