Torture

Regarding our previous appeal on the torture case of human rights defender, Mr. Michael Anthony Emmanuel Fernando, who was an applicant in a case of fundamental rights.(Ref: S.C. [F/F] No. 55/20030), he was sentenced to one years imprisonment on Feb. 6, 2003, for alleged contempt of court. He was then severely assaulted while in custody […]

Dear Friends, We are sending you the following translation of a newspaper report on the torture case of Mr. Anthony Michael Emmanuel Fernando (see more details at http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2003/408/) that occurred from the hospital to Ananda Dharmapriya Jayasekara. The story was published in Ravaya, a Sinhalese newspaper, on Feb. 23, 2003. We urge you to take […]

SUMMARY While presenting his petition before the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Mr. Anthony Michael Fernando was convicted and imprisoned under contempt of court. His fundamental right to a fair trial was violated as one of the respondents to Mr. Fernando’s claim sat in judgment on him, thereby undermining international norms of judicial objectivity. Furthermore, […]

SRI LANKA: Widespread practice of torture; cruel and inhumane treatment and torture by the police ——————————————————————– – Name of the victims: Anuruddha Kusum Kumara (15) and Bambarende Gamage Suraj Prasanna (17) – Perpetrators: Officers of Wellawa police station and Matugama police station CASES DETAILS Case 1: Cruel and inhumane treatment to a 15-year-old student Anuruddha […]

TORTURE AND CYANIDE: A RESPONSE TO “IS TORTURE EVER JUSTIFIED” — Basil Fernando, AHRC Note: The following letter, dated 14 January 2003, was written to the Economist magazine in reply to its January 11 cover story, “Is torture ever justified?” The opinion column from that edition is currently available online at http://economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1524784. ——————– Dear Sir/Madam […]

SRI LANKA: Widespread practice of torture; another case of brutal assault by the police ——————————————————————– SUMMARY Subasinghe Aarachchilage Nihal Subasinghe (40), suffered serious injuries after been assaulted with a T-56 gun by police officers and was hospitalized. The allegation against Subasinghe is that he has stolen some firewood. In November 200,2 AHRC issued an urgent […]

Regarding our previous appeal and update on the case of two people tortured to death at the same police station in Sri Lanka (see http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/379/ and http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/380/), the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that the initial investigation into the death of a young man, which was conducted by a special police team […]

SRI LANKA: Widespread practice of torture; inhuman treatment but no justice ——————————————————————– – Name of the victim: Mohamed Najeed Rukshan – Perpetrator: The police of Gokarella police division – Date of torture: November 14, 2002 Mr. Mohamed Najeed Rukshan (28), a development officer of the Hevanegedera Samurdi Society is living in the village of Dethilianga […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a 25-year-old man was tortured by the police at the Kirindiwela police station – the same police station where a 70-year-old man, P. A. Piyadasa, was tortured to death (see our previous appeal at http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/379/; please note that his correct age is 70, not 78).  […]

P. A. Piyadasa of Papiliwela in Veralugampola was arrested by a group of policemen from the Kirindiwela police station at midnight on Nov. 20, 2002, while he was sleeping in his home. In the early morning of Nov. 21, his body was handed over to the Watupitiwela Base Hospital where he was declared dead. 

SRI LANKA: The widespread practice of torture; Illegal arrest, torture and fabrication of charges by police ——————————————————————– – Name of the victim: A.M. Kusumawathie (37), mother of three children in Uppuwatte, Warapitiya, Darganagaraya – The date of torture: October 22, 2002 – Tortured by: Aluthgama Police   CASE DETAILS Kusumawathie was assaulted by police with […]

SRI LANKA: Assault, fabrication of charges by police, and an attack on freedom of expression ——————————————————————– – Name of the Victim: Mr. Uvidu Kurukulasuriya – Date of the Incident: November 15, 2002 – Assaulted by: Police of the Maharagama police station CASE DETAILS Uvidu Kurukulasuriya, a journalist from the well known Sinhala newspaper, Ravaya was […]

Mr. Lamahewage Lal Meddagoda (36), a coconut plucker who lived in Seeduwa South, was a father of three children (two daughters and one son). He was arrested by the Seeduwa Police with another person named Wewalage Shelton Fernando for allegedly stealing Sri Lanka Rupees 300 worth ‘kehel kana’ (a plantain bunch). He was arrested on the 5 November 2002. According to the evidence of Mr. W. Shelton Fernando at the inquest conducted by the Magistrate Negombo M. N. Buran, both persons were tortured by the Police.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that Amnesty International (AI) has issued a press release to urge the government of Sri Lanka to end torture.  In the press release, AI urged the prime minister of Sri Lanka to implement key recommendations made by the UN Committee against Torture (CAT) and also called […]

Name: Hettitantrige Lasitha Sameera Madusanga, 17 years old, a student of Gurukula MV studying in Grade 12 A/Level class in the Science stream Address: No. 245, Dias Place, St. Francis Mawatha, Dalugama, Kelaniya. Tel 907804. The Date of the Police Assault: 17th Oct 2002 after 4.00 p.m. up to 18th Oct 2002 Morning Alleged Perpetrators: […]

Regarding the recent attack on the office of IDAR-E-AMN-O-INSAF (Institute for Justice and Peace), where seven innocent Christians were murdered on 25 September 2002 in Karachi, Mr. Robin Peeran Ditta (32), the only surviving employee at the time of the incident, has been illegally confined in police custody. Instead of arresting the real culprits, Mr. […]

On the occasion of the issue of a special report on torture in Sri Lanka by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a sister organisation of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), we are issuing this urgent appeal to urge you to bring pressure on the Sri Lankan government to act decisively to stop the widespread practice of torture in the country.

Mr. Brahmanage Aruna Sheron Suranga WIJEWARDANE (27) of 444B Batagama South, Kandana, was handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Head Quarters at Colombo to assist an inquiry by the CID. Mr. Wijewardane was handed over by his uncle Mr. Lenard Nonis to the Superintendent of Police (SP) Nimal Kulathunga of CID at the CID Head Quarters at 9:45am on 26 August 2002. When Mr. Wijewardene was being handed over, SP Nimal Kulathunga promised to Mr. Nonis that Mr. Wijewardane would not be assaulted.

In AHRC’s last communication on this matter, AHRC informed of a letter it had received from the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka, stating that the case had been referred the Prosecution of Perpetrators of Torture Unit, functioning under the Attorney General’s Department, for investigation. After investigation by this unit, the Attorney General will study the file for the purpose of filing charges. The charges are under the Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman, degrading punishment and treatment Act (Act No.22 of 1994). The offences defined under this Act carry a mandatory sentence of 7 years and a fine of not less than Rs.10,000 (104 USD).

Update: The Torture Case of Ms. H.P. Nandini Sriyatha Heart; Complications Develop in the Prosecution of Perpetrators In AHRC’s last communication on this matter, AHRC informed of a letter it had received from the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka, stating that the case had been referred the Prosecution of Perpetrators of Torture Unit, functioning […]