By Lionel Bopage –

Dr. Lionel Bopage

After 16 years of legal battles, witness intimidation, and broken promises, the disappearance of Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda remains unsolved. It is a sobering reminder of the impunity that still plagues Sri Lanka’s human rights and press freedom. His wife Sandya Ekneligoda continues to face abuse and death threats, even under the current government. The most recent threat was reported to have been made by someone identified as a retired army major. It is not just a terrible act, it is also an attack on the self-respect of a woman and a victim.

On January 24, 2010, Sri Lankan journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda disappeared without a trace. Sixteen years later, Sandya Ekneligoda continues her relentless quest for truth, navigating a justice system plagued by delays, intimidation, and institutional resistance. As the anniversary of his enforced disappearance passes once again in 2026, the case stands as a painful emblem of Sri Lanka’s ongoing struggle with accountability and press freedom.

Trapped in Legal Limbo

The trial against nine military intelligence officers accused in Ekneligoda’s disappearance continues to inch forward at a glacial pace. Among the accused is Retired Brigadier Shammi Kumararatne, former commanding officer of the Giritale Army Camp[1], where witnesses reported seeing Prageeth after his abduction. Yet despite years of proceedings before a Permanent Trial-at-Bar, a verdict remains frustratingly out of reach.

Prageeth

The current phase of the trial focuses on analysing circumstantial evidence, including phone records and witness testimonies. That could finally piece together what happened to Prageeth after he vanished in broad daylight. Former Criminal Investigation Department Director Shani Abeysekara, who led the original investigation, has been designated as the 109th witness of the trial. That is a crucial addition that advocates hope would bring fresh momentum to the case.

However, repeated postponements have characterised the proceedings throughout late 2025 and into 2026. The three-judge bench has faced persistent vacancies. Hearings have been deferred for months at a time. Judicial appointments languished in bureaucratic limbo. For Sandya Ekneligoda, who has fought this battle for 16 years, each delay compounds the agony of not knowing her husband’s fate.

The statement that the hope that existed by the end of 2024 has been shattered by the end of 2025 reflects the frustration expressed by those close to the case. It is unfortunate that the appointment of judges to vacant judicial posts is delayed for six or seven months even when Rajapaksas are not in power.

Shadows of Intimidation

Perhaps no factor has undermined the pursuit of justice more than the systematic intimidation of witnesses. Key witnesses have recanted their testimonies or simply failed to appear in court. Their silence speaks volumes about the climate of fear surrounding this case. The pattern of intimidation runs so deep that even the accused have been implicated in attempting to silence those who dare to speak.

In June 2025, Shammi Kumararatne himself was briefly remanded for allegedly threatening a witness. It refers to a brazen act that highlights how those accused of disappearing a journalist feel emboldened to obstruct justice openly. For witnesses who might provide crucial testimony about what happened at the Giritale military camp, the message is clear. That is cooperation comes with personal risk.

This atmosphere of intimidation extends beyond individual threats. The Sri Lankan Army has historically withheld information about the case, citing national security concerns whenever pressed for details. The military’s wall of silence has made it nearly impossible to establish what happened to Prageeth after witnesses last saw him at the military installation.

Promises Made and Promises Broken

The election of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in September 2024 initially sparked renewed hope among human rights advocates and Prageeth’s family. The new administration, led by the National People’s Power, pledged to expedite long-unsolved cases of political abductions and killings. For a brief moment, it seemed justice might finally be within reach. However, that hope proved short-lived.

In January 2026, the same government that promised accountability reportedly promoted T.E.R. (Erantha) Peiris, a suspect in the Eknaligoda case, to the rank of Colonel. The promotion has sent shockwaves through the human rights community and drew sharp criticism from international observers. How could a government claim to seek justice while simultaneously advancing the military careers of those accused of making a journalist disappear?

This contradiction mirrors patterns from previous administrations. Under former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimisation went to the extent of recommending the acquittal of all nine accused officers. International observers condemned that move as a deliberate attempt to derail the investigation. The fact that such recommendations could be made with impunity reveals the depth of institutional resistance to accountability in cases involving military personnel.

International Spotlight

The Ekneligoda case has become emblematic of Sri Lanka’s broader struggles with press freedom and human rights. As of 2025, Sri Lanka ranks 150th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. It is a dismal position that reflects the dangerous environment journalists face in the country.

International organisations have not remained silent. Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International continue to apply pressure, calling for concrete reforms that would make justice possible. The United Nations Human Rights Council extended the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka for two years in October 2025, specifically to monitor accountability for past crimes like Prageeth’s disappearance.

These international watchdogs have identified three critical needs for achieving closure in the Eknaligoda case: witness protection, full disclosure, and judicial continuity. Effective mechanisms must be established to shield those testifying against military personnel from intimidation and retaliation. Without such protections, the truth will remain buried beneath layers of fear.

The military must be held accountable for fully disclosing Prageeth’s whereabouts after he was seen at the Giritale military camp. National security cannot be used as a perpetual shield for human rights violations. Additionally, the Special High Court bench must remain fully staffed to prevent the tactical delays that have characterised this case. That is because justice deferred, is justice denied. The chronic vacancies on the bench serve no purpose but obstruction.

A Wife’s Unwavering Determination

Throughout these 16 years of legal battles, broken promises, and institutional resistance, Sandya Ekneligoda has remained steadfast. Her public campaign for justice has kept her husband’s case in the national consciousness, refusing to let his disappearance fade into the background of Sri Lanka’s troubled history.

“Prageeth’s case needs to be concluded and soon. I think I have a right to make this request,” she has stated with dignified determination. Her words carry the weight of nearly two decades she spent seeking answers, navigating a system that seems designed to exhaust rather than deliver justice.

Sandya’s fight is not just about a single person’s disappearance. It is about whether Sri Lanka can break free from its culture of impunity, whether military personnel can be held accountable for crimes against civilians, and whether journalists can work without fear of being silenced permanently.

The Urgent Need for Closure

January 24, 2026, marks 16 years since the forced disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligeda. The need for conclusion of his case has never been a more urgent task. A transparent and impartial final verdict is not just a legal formality. It is also a moral imperative for a society seeking to move beyond its authoritarian past.

The obstacles are formidable, with witness intimidation, institutional resistance, contradictory government actions, and a military that continues to protect its own. Yet these challenges cannot be allowed to prevent justice indefinitely. The question facing Sri Lanka is whether this case will join countless other disappearances that remain forever unsolved, or whether the country will finally demonstrate that no one is above the law, regardless of rank or uniform.

For Sandya Ekneligoda and for everyone who believes in press freedom and human rights, the answer to that question will define Sri Lanka’s future as much as its past. Sixteen years is more than long enough time to wait for justice. Now is the time to arrive at a final conclusion.

^{[1] Giritale Army Camp in Sri Lanka is a military facility. It is notably associated with the Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police (SLCMP). It gained significant media attention in 2015-2016 when the CID investigated the Prageeth Ekneligoda disappearance.}