AHRC UA990210 Sri Lanka 10 February 1999
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION URGENT APPEAL
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Name : Mr.Ranawaka Ararchige Nihal Padmasiri
Age : 30 years
Death: Due to police assault
Date: 2nd February 1999
An inquest held on the death of Mr.Ranawaka Ararchige Nihal Padmasiri,30, by the judicial medical officer, established that the death had occured due to multiple injuries of brain and skull. The injuries were sustained due to an assault on the head with a blunt weapon.
Nihal Padmasiri was arrested on 2nd February according to reports. He died prior to admission to the hospital while in the police custdoy of the Gampaha Police. It was disclosed by a Reliable source of the Gampaha hospital that Nihal Padmasiri was already dead when he was admitted to the hospital.
On the order of the Gampaha Magistrate Court, Assistant Medical Judicila Officer Ajith Tennakoon conducted the post mortum and submitted his reportto the court on 3rd February. 4 February 1999 The \”Lankadeepa\” Newspaper published a report on this case. There had been no arrests or proper inquiries in this case. Just last week AHRC issued an appeal on the case of death of Anura Sampath in police custody at Maratua police station
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please send letters, faxes and email urgently to the offices mentioned below urging:
1. an impartial inquiry be conducted into the custodial death of Ranawaka Ararchige Nihal Padmasiriand;
2. perpetrators of this inhuman act to be brought to justice.
SUGGESTED LETTER:
Your Excellency,
Re. Death of Ranawaka Ararchige Nihal Padmasiri, 30, at Police Custody at Gampaha Police Station.
We have learned about the death of the above-named young man at the police station of Gampaha , Sri Lanka. this death occurred due to assault by police officers at the Gampaha Police Station. It appears that no satisfactory inquiry has been conducted on this incident. Unfortunately the reports of torture and brutal deaths allegedly committed by the Sri Lankanpolice are very many.
We urge that an inquiry be conducted into this matter and perpetrators be brought to justice.
________________________
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Her Excellency President Chandrika B. Kumaratunga, Presidential Residence, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka, Fax: 94 – 1 – 333 – 703
Inspector General of Police, Police Headquarters, New Secretariat, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka <br>
Officer In Charge, Gampaha Police Station, Gampaha , Sri Lanka
CC COPIES TO:
You are strongly recommended to send above appeals, especially by e-mail, to following Sri Lankan embassies requesting them to forward the appeals to relevant Sri Lankan authorities in Sri Lanka.
Ambassador Dr. Warnasena Rasaputram, Embassy of Sri Lanka, 2148 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008
Fax: (1-202) 232-7181 and (1-202) 483-8017, E-mail: slembasy@clark.net
Hon. High-Commissioner, The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
13 Hyde Park Gardens, London W2 2LU, United Kingdom, Fax: (0171) 262-7970, E-mail: lancom@easynet.co.uk
Hon. Ambassador, Permanent Mission and Consulate General of Sri Lanka, 56, Rue De Moillebeau, 5th Floor, 1 209, Geneva 19, Switzerland. Fax: (41-22) 734 9084, E-mail: mission.srilanka@itu.ch
Kapil Sibal, Chair, Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, c/o Centre for Human Rights, Palais des Nations, 8-14, avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 10 , Switzerland, Fax: (41-22) 917.01.23, email: webadmin.hchr@unog.ch
and Diplomatic representatives of the Sri Lanka accredited to your country.
