Sri Lanka, July 2 -- The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has ruled that the decision to withhold the Advanced Level examination results of around 70 Muslim students from Zahira College, Trincomalee, in 2024 violated their fundamental rights.

The Commission issued its recommendation in Case No. HRC/SUO-MOTU/02/2024, concerning a decision by the then Commissioner General of Examinations to withhold the results over allegations that the candidates had breached exam rules by wearing religious attire that covered their ears during the examination.

The students, all Muslim girls, had worn a loose shawl as part of their religious practice. Authorities had claimed that the attire violated examination regulations requiring candidat...