Overseas travel ban on ex-Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa lifted

The overseas travel ban imposed on former Sri Lanka prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been lifted, ANI reported quoting news organization News First.

The ban had been put in place following May 9, 2022 clashes. The travel ban against MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena, minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and ex-provincial council member Kanchana Jayaratne has also been lifted.

The ban came after investigations into the alleged involvement of Rajapaksa and others in the deadly attack on peaceful anti-government protesters in Colombo.

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s lawyer asked the court to relax the travel restrictions citing the fact that none of them had been listed as suspects in the investigation, News First reported.

The court issued an order lifting the travel ban and designated the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration as the recipient of the stated order. The Sri Lankan Supreme Court had earlier issued an order that prevented them from leaving the country without the court’s permission.

The clashes came as Sri Lankans experienced extreme shortages of essentials including food and fuel. The demonstrations led then-prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign. His brother, president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, fled the country and resigned later. Wickremasinghe then became acting president, and parliament elected him as the new president on July 20 last year.