Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the torture of a man who was arrested falsely by police in Seeduwa, Negombo Division, Sri Lanka. The victim was arrested in relation to the charge of robbery of the house in Prasanna Sandaruwan which is under the area of control of the Seeduwa police station. The victim had allegedly claimed that he was not involved in the robbery. However the police allegedly tortured him in order to force him to confess his involvement in this crime.
CASE DETAILS:
At around 11:30 am on 27 October 2006, several police officers took Mr. Pasquelge Don Dudley Mervyn, a 56-year-old casual labourer to the Seeduwa police station in Seeduwa. Negombo District II, Negombo Division, Sri Lanka and arrested him in charge related to a robbery of a house of Prasanna Sandaruwan, which Mr. Pasquelge claims that he did not commit. The mother of the victim, Mrs. Pasquelge Dona Violet Lilian, learned of the detention of her son in the evening of the day he was arrested.
When Lilian visited her son to the Seeduwa police station with food, Dudley told her that he had been severely tortured by police officers and had been forced to admit to the robbery that he did not commit. Lilian saw the injuries on his body and realised that her son was in great pain.
On November 2 when Lilian again visited the police station to see her son, she witnessed that he was not in the holding cell but was seated on a chair in the police mess and handcuffed to a steel bed by his right hand.
Shockingly, Dudley had been detained at the police station for 7 days until November 3 without being produced before a magistrate. A person arrested must be brought before court within 24 hours after the arrest according to law. Furthermore he had allegedly been tortured constantly by the police while he was in custody.
The AHRC demands that the brutal torture of a man who has been falsely charged should never be allowed to go unchallenged. This fact reveals the inefficiency of Sri Lankan police which does not have the training and capability to conduct investigations without resulting to brutal torture.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter to the relevant Sri Lankan authorities listed below to urge them to conduct an inquiry into this case of wrongful arrest and severe torture of a man by the police. Please also urge the government authorities to provide necessary compensation for the victims mental and physical pain due to severe assaults carried by police.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ________,
Sri Lanka: Alleged false charge and torture of a man by police officers
Name of victim: Pasquelge Don Dudley Mervyn from Seeduwa, Negombo Division, Sri Lanka
Alleged perpetrators: Police officers attached to the Seeduwa police station, Negombo District II, Negombo Division, Sri Lanka
Date of incident: 27 October 2006 to 3 November 2006
Place of incidence: Seeduwa police station
I am disgusted to learn that in the morning of October 27, several police officers took Mr. Pasquelge Don Dudley Mervyn, a 56-year-old casual labourer in Seeduwa to the Seeduwa police station and arrested him in charge related to a robbery of a house of Prasanna Sandaruwan, which Mr. Pasquelge claims that he did not commit. The mother of the victim, Mrs. Pasquelge Dona Violet Lilian learned of the detention of her son in the evening of the day he was arrested.
When Lilian visited her son to the Seeduwa police station with food, Dudley told her that he had been severely tortured by police officers and had been forced to admit to the robbery that he did not commit. Lilian saw the injuries on his body and realised that her son was in great pain.
Dudley had been detained at the police station for 7 days until November 3 without being produced before a magistrate. Furthermore he had allegedly been tortured constantly by the police while he was in custody.
The brutal torture of a man who has been falsely charged should never be allowed to go unchallenged. This is yet another example of the fact that the Sri Lankan police do not have the training and capability to conduct investigations without resulting to brutal torture.
Sincerely yours,
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SEND YOUR LETTER TO:
1. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse
President
Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka
C/- Office of the President
Temple Trees
150, Galle Road
Colombo 3
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2472100 / +94 11 2446657
Email: secretary@presidentsoffice.lk
2. Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Prime Minister
Temple Trees
Galle Road, Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 575317-8 or 370 737-8
Fax: +94 11 2 575454
3. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa
Minister
Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order
15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha,
Colombo 03,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: 94-11 2 430860-9, 430878-9 or 435879 (for the secretary)
Fax: 94 11 2 446300 or 421529
E-mail: secdef@sltnet.lk
4. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net
5. Mr. Victor Perera
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk
6. Secretary
National Police Commission
3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers,
109 Galle Road
Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 395310
Fax: +94 11 2 395867
E-mail: npcgen@sltnet.lk
7. Secretary
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
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk
8. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Mr. Safir Syed
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 9179016 (general) (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR TORTURE)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
