Amnesty International has issued a warning regarding a proposed anti-terrorism law in Sri Lanka, known as the 'State Protection from Terrorism Act 2026', stating that it is fundamentally flawed with significant loopholes. Despite being introduced as a substitute for the notorious 'Prevention of Terrorism Act', Amnesty believes the new legislation still provides avenues for arbitrary detention and restricts freedoms, especially for minorities, dissenters, and journalists.

Crucially, Amnesty highlights that the draft law's definition of terrorism is vague and broad, allowing for potential misuse by authorities. Past experiences with the existing prevention of terrorism laws have shown how imprecise definitions could be weaponized against Tamil and Muslim minorities, as well as against critics and the press, thus raising serious concerns about the law's implications for human rights in the country.

Furthermore, Amnesty warns of specific provisions in the draft that criminalize acts related to 'endangering the sovereignty of Sri Lanka' without a clear definition or boundaries. This lack of precision conflicts with the principle of legality, which requires that crimes be clearly defined to enable individuals to align their behavior with the law. Such ambiguous stipulations may further exacerbate state repression and hinder the ability of citizens to exercise their rights to protest and express dissent.