Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young prisoner named Lewadeni Parirannehelage Senake Weerasinghe has been disappeared from open prison camp at Pallekele since 19 August 2004. The prison authorities claimed that he had escaped from the prison while he was taken for a bath. However, the prison authorities did not inform anything about the incident for 6 days until L.P.S. Weerasinghe’s father found his son’s disappearance when he came to see his son at prison on August 25. The parent suspects that something might have happened to their son and they are looking for his whereabouts desperately.
Your urgent action is required to pressure the local authorities to intervene this case immediately. Please write a letter to the Commissioner General of Prisons of Sri Lanka to order a prompt investigation about the disappearance of the above prisoners.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
—————————————————–
DETAILED INFORMAION:
Name of the victim: Lewadeni Parirannehelage Senake Weerasinghe, 25 years old, a prisoner No. H.13186 at open prison camp at Pallekele
Date of disappearance: 19 August 2004
Complainant: Mr. L.P. Piyasiri Weerasinghe, the victim’s father, resides at no.89, Bodhirajapura, Werahera, Boralesgamuwe
Case details:
Lewadeni Parirannehelage Senake Weerasinghe (25) is a prisoner (no. H.13186) at open prison camp at Pallekele. He was serving his one-year term since mid April 2004 after he was convicted of using drugs. L.P.S. Weerasinghe has been disappeared from the prison since 19 August 2004.
On August 25, when his father Mr. L.P. Piyasiri Weerasinghe went to see his son at the open prison camp at Pallekele, he heard from the prison officers that L.R.S. Weerasinghe had escaped from the prison on August 19 while he was taken for a bath. However, the prison authorities did not inform anything about the incident for 6 days until L.P.S. Weerasinghe’s father came to know his son’s disappearance on August 25. The parents are very suspicious of their son’s disappearance and are insisting an immediate investigation to find out what actually happened to their son.
It is the responsibility of the prison authorities to safeguard the prisoners while they are under the custody in prison. AHRC strongly urges the Commissioner of General of Prisons of Sri Lanka and other relevant local authorities to conduct a prompt inquiry to find out the actual fact of the incident and the whereabouts of the said prisoner.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter, fax or an email to the addresses below and express your concern about this case.
1. Commissioner General of Prisons
Prison Department
150
Baseline Road
Colombo9
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 1 691 976
Fax: +94 11 1 395206
2.Mr. Mahindra Rajapakse
Prime Minister
Cambridge Place
Colombo7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 682905 / 575454
E-mail: secpm@sltnet.lk or bradmanw@slt.lk
3. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436 421
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net or counsel@sri.lanka.net
4. Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
Chairperson
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
No. 36, Kynsey Road
Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
5. Mr. Diego Garcia-Sayan
Chairperson
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Att: Ms. Soussan Raadi-Azarakhchi
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Re: The disappearance of Lewadeni Parirannehelage Senake Weerasinghe (No. H.13186) at open prison camp at Pallekele
Name of the victim: Lewadeni Parirannehelage Senake Weerasinghe, 25 years old, a prisoner No. H.13186 at open prison camp at Pallekele
Date of disappearance: 19 August 2004
Complainant: Mr. L.P. Piyasiri Weerasinghe, the victim's father, resides at no.89, Bodhirajapura, Werahera, Boralesgamuwe
I am writing this to bring the following matter to your notice.
Lewadeni Parirannehelage Senake Weerasinghe (Prisoner No. H.13186) remains being disappeared from open prison camp at Pallekele since 19 August 2004. He was serving his one-year term since mid April 2004 after he was convicted of using drugs. The prison authorities claims that L.P.S. Weerasinghe escaped from the prison on August 19 but it is very suspicious that they did not inform it to the prisoner's parents for 6 days until the father came to know his son's disappearance when he came to the prison to see L.P.S. Weerasinghe on August 25. L.P.S. Weerasinghe's parents believe that something might have happened to their son and wants an immediate investigation into this matter to find out what actually happened to their son.
It is the responsibility of the prison authorities to safeguard the prisoners while they are under the custody in prison. I request you to conduct a prompt inquiry to find out the actual fact of the incident and the whereabouts of the said prisoner.
Sincerely yours,
----------------
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
