Expert Team Concludes 96-Day Excavation Phase at Chemmani After Recovery of 480 Remains

DIASPORA ACTION BRIEF  |  CHEMMANI EXCAVATION SITE  |  UPDATED: 25 JULY 2026

Expert Team Concludes 96-Day Excavation Phase at Chemmani After Recovery of 480 Remains; Operations to Resume 4 August Under Magistrate Supervision

Following 96 days of active excavation at the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna District, the expert team led by Professor Raj Somadeva has concluded the current phase of fieldwork and is taking a scheduled break. A total of 480 human skeletal sets have been recovered and documented over the course of the programme — a figure that reflects the full scope of the forensic operation to date. The resumption of operations is confirmed for 4 August 2026, when work will recommence under the direct supervision of Jaffna Magistrate Selvanayagam Leninkumar. The site, long central to demands for accountability regarding wartime enforced disappearances, continues to attract significant domestic and international attention.

The visiting delegation comprised the following senior officials:

Name	Role	Affiliation
H.E. Carmen Moreno	Ambassador	European Union
H.E. Dr. Felix Neumann	Ambassador	Germany
H.E. Rémi Lambert	Ambassador	France
H.E. Damiano Francovigh	Ambassador	Italy
H.E. Wiebe De Boer	Ambassador	Netherlands
Mrs. Galija Agisheva	Deputy Head of Delegation	European Union
Dr. Johann Hesse	Head of Cooperation	European Union
Ms. Sara Fonseca Silva	Communication Coordinator	European Union

 

The excavation programme has proceeded under the oversight of the Jaffna Magistrate's Court, with systematic procedures encompassing excavation grids, evidence tagging, photographic documentation, and biological sample collection for laboratory analysis. The temporary pause in fieldwork provides an opportunity for consolidation of recovered material, continuation of DNA analysis, and preparation of evidentiary documentation in accordance with chain-of-custody protocols. The forthcoming resumption under Magistrate Selvanayagam Leninkumar on 4 August will ensure that judicial oversight is maintained without interruption across phases of the exhumation programme. On 22 July 2026, a high-level European Union delegation — comprising ambassadors from the EU, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as senior EU Delegation officials — attended the site as authorised observers, signalling heightened international scrutiny of forensic and judicial standards.

The recovery of 480 remains across 96 days represents a landmark achievement in Sri Lanka's transitional justice process, and the confirmed resumption date of 4 August provides diaspora organisations with a clear operational timeline. Advocacy networks are urged to: (1) monitor official communications from the Jaffna Magistrate's Court and the Office on Missing Persons around the 4 August resumption; (2) assess the potential for EU diplomatic engagement to catalyse independent technical support in DNA analysis, radiocarbon dating, and forensic anthropology; and (3) maintain and strengthen family liaison mechanisms in preparation for identification notifications as laboratory analysis of recovered remains advances. Civil society actors should continue to press for victim-centred processes, transparent reporting of findings, and assured protections for all parties engaged at the site. This brief will be updated upon resumption of operations or any material development in forensic findings or diplomatic engagement.

 

Verification Note — Primary Sources Consulted

Video report on excavation proceedings [Source 1]; Tamil Guardian coverage of Chemmani developments [Source 2]; Jaffna Monitor field report [Source 3]. Tamil-language source reporting 480 skeletons recovered across 96 days, Professor Raj Somadeva-led team on scheduled break, and resumption confirmed for 4 August 2026 under Magistrate Selvanayagam Leninkumar [Source 4 — translated from Tamil]. All figures are as reported by excavation authorities; editors are advised to cross-reference with official Jaffna Magistrate's Court releases and OMP statements prior to publication.