Sri Lankan opposition pulls out of judge's hearing

They also said that the government lawmakers treated Bandaranayake in an insulting and intimidating manner, and that their remarks clearly showed they had already found her guilty.

The impeachment is a culmination of a months-long dispute between the parliament and the judiciary.

Bandaranayake began to be heavily criticized by the government after she ruled that legislation giving sweeping powers to the economic development minister violated the constitution. The minister is Rajapaksa's brother.

The case has drawn international attention.

In a statement Friday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S is deeply concerned about actions surrounding the impeachment trial and urged the government to ensure due process.

"These latest developments are part of a disturbing deterioration of democratic norms in Sri Lanka, including infringement on the independence of the judiciary," Toner said, calling for the government to uphold the rule of law and democratic governance.

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Associated Press writer Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report.