News:2023-01-01/Report/harm-reduction-international-drug-control-and-detention-in-sri-lanka-a-broken-system

1 January 2023

Report

Sri Lanka·

Harm Reduction International: Drug control and detention in Sri Lanka — "A broken system"

Harm Reduction International published "Drug Control and Detention in Sri Lanka — A Broken System," documenting severe disproportionate penalties under Sri Lanka's drug control legislation. The report found that possession or trafficking of as little as 2 grams of heroin could attract life imprisonment or the death penalty. Cannabis penalties, while less severe, gave judges "significant discretion." Overburdened and under-resourced courts meant persons accused of drug offenses risked weeks or months in pre-trial detention, incentivising guilty pleas — regardless of actual guilt — to receive a fine and release. Those unable to pay the fine faced up to six months' imprisonment, "effectively criminalising poverty." The report contextualised these findings against a backdrop of 152,979 drug-related arrests in 2022 — a 13% increase attributed to Sri Lanka's economic crisis — with the government implementing a new National Policy for Drugs covering demand reduction, supply control, coordination, and research.

Source: https://hri.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HRI_global-overview_2023_FINAL.pdf

2023-01-01 Report Harm Reduction International: Drug control and detention in Sri Lanka — "A broken system" Harm Reduction International published "Drug Control and Detention in Sri Lanka — A Broken System," documenting severe disproportionate penalties under Sri Lanka's drug control legislation. The report found that possession or trafficking of as little as 2 grams of heroin could attract life imprisonment or the death penalty. Cannabis penalties, while less severe, gave judges "significant discretion." Overburdened and under-resourced courts meant persons accused of drug offenses risked weeks or months in pre-trial detention, incentivising guilty pleas — regardless of actual guilt — to receive a fine and release. Those unable to pay the fine faced up to six months' imprisonment, "effectively criminalising poverty." The report contextualised these findings against a backdrop of 152,979 drug-related arrests in 2022 — a 13% increase attributed to Sri Lanka's economic crisis — with the government implementing a new National Policy for Drugs covering demand reduction, supply control, coordination, and research. https://hri.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HRI global-overview 2023 FINAL.pdf