GENEVA, July 10, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The UN urged Sri Lanka Friday to grant the country's Human Rights Commission "unfettered access" to the country's prisons after deadly violence erupted at an overcrowded facility this week.

Sri Lanka says it has launched an investigation into clashes Sunday between rival gangs at Negombo Prison, north of the capital Colombo, that killed 20 inmates and eight guards.

The United Nations rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani welcomed the pledge to carry out investigations, stressing that the probes "must be prompt, independent and transparent".

She described the violence, and "reports of reprisals against inmates by guards at other prisons" as "deeply alarming".

"The families of the dozens killed and injured - both inmates and prison officers - deserve to know the truth and see accountability," she said.

Shamdasani called on authorities in the country "to grant the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka unfettered access to Negombo, as well as all other prisons, including detention facilities where prisoners were transferred and allegedly subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment".

She stressed that the violence at Negombo "underscores the urgency of tackling structural concerns around detention in Sri Lanka", pointing to "prolonged pre-trial detention, overcrowding and inadequate conditions in detention facilities".

"Furthermore, a disproportionate number of people are detained for drug-related offences, many of whom should benefit from health-centred responses as opposed to incarceration."