ICJ urges international oversight and victim-centred investigation into Chemmani mass grave

In light of the ongoing excavation at the Chemmani-Siththupaththi mass grave site in Jaffna, situated in the north of Sri Lanka, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) yesterday issued the following statement

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AS of 27 July 2025, 101 skeletal remains, including those of children and infants, had been recovered at Chemmani-Siththupaththi. The ICJ considers that the excavation process is a necessary, initial step toward truth and accountability, and calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that all exhumation and investigative processes be conducted in full compliance with international human rights law and standards—such as the Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extralegal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions (the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death)—including with respect to investigative practice and forensic science and the rights and dignity of the dead and their families.

“We must remember that behind every set of remains lies a family that has endured unimaginable suffering. These forensic investigations must be conducted with the utmost respect for human dignity and with the full participation of families. International oversight is required to ensure that these processes meet the highest professional and legal standards that the gravity of these crimes warrants,” said Mandira Sharma, Senior International Legal Adviser of the ICJ. “The Chemmani exhumations represent a critical juncture for Sri Lanka’s transitional justice process,” she added.