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A court in Sri Lanka on Thursday decided to ban the visit of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his politician son Namal, and 15 allies from going abroad. They are blamed for spreading violence against anti-government demonstrators.
The magistrate in the capital, Colombo, also asked police to investigate Monday’s mob attacks on peaceful protesters, which led to retaliatory violence that claimed nine lives and caused widespread destruction.
“But the magistrate turned it down because the police anyway have powers to detain any suspect,” the official added.
Victims of Monday’s violence say that Rajapaksa and his supporters called around 3,000 of their supporters into the capital and asked them to attack peaceful protesters.
Rajapaksa’s loyalist mob came out with full preparation and beat anti-government demonstrators with sticks and clubs.
Buddhist monks and Catholic priests were among the people hospitalised after the attack. Rajpaksa’s men set the house ablaze and created a ruckus.
In the end, PM Rajpaksa resigned amidst heavy protest across the country. He was evacuated from his home by heavily armed troops. The 76-year-old former leader is currently holed up at a naval facility in the east of the island nation.
His son Namal said on Tuesday that the family had no intention of leaving the country.
