Dear friends
Victim: Padukkage Nishantha Thushara Perera (23 years old)
Address of the victim: No. 63, St. Sebastian’s Road, Kandana
Perpetrators: Police officers attached to the Divulapitiya Police Station
Period of detention and torture: from 7 September until now
Details:
Padukkage Nishantha Thushara Perera (23 years old) was arrested by four police officers at around 4:30am on 7 September 2003. He was brought to the Divulapitiya Police Station. Since then, he is being continuously tortured at the police station. According to his mother Brigitte Patricia, he has been asked to give evidence against a person regarding some cattle thefts about which he knows nothing.
His father who went to see him on 8 September was also detained at the same police station but was released within a day due to the intervention of the local politician. The parents are not allowed to see their son now.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter, fax or e-mail to the addresses below expressing your concern about this serious case.
1 Hon. Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe
Prime Minister
Cambridge Place, Colombo 7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 1 2 682905
E-mail: <mailto:secpm@sltnet.lk>secpm@sltnet.lk or <mailto:bradmanw@slt.lk>bradmanw@slt.lk
2. Hon. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 1 2 436 421
Email: <mailto:attorney@sri.lanka.net>attorney@sri.lanka.net or <mailto:counsel@sri.lanka.net>counsel@sri.lanka.net
3. Mr. Ranjith Abeysuriya PC
Chairman National Police Commission
69-1 Ward Place, Colombo 7
Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 1 2 691 926
Fax HOME: +941 2 674148
4. National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
No. 36, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 1 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 1 2 694 924
E-mail: <mailto:sechrc@sltnet.lk>sechrc@sltnet.lk
5. Mr. Theo C. van Boven
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917-9016
E-mail: <mailto:secrt.hchr@unog.ch>secrt.hchr@unog.ch
and at:
International Relations
Maastricht University
The Netherlands
Tel: 31-43-3883233 (Assistant: Chantal Kuipers)
Email: <mailto:th.vanboven@ir.unimaas.nl>th.vanboven@ir.unimaas.nl
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear
RE: SEEKING URGENT INTERVENTION FOR A PERSON NOW BEING TORTURED AT THE DIVULAPITIYA POICE STATION
Padukkage Nishantha Thushara Perera (23 years old) of No. 63, St. Sebastian's Road, Kandana is now being tortured at the Divulapitiya police station. He was arrested by four police officers at about 4:30am on 7 September. He is, since then being continuously tortured at the police station.
His father who went to see him on the 8 September was also detained but was released due to the intervention of the local politician within a day. The victim's father is not allowed to see the son now who was also detained at the same police station. According to his mother Brigitte Patricia, Padukkage Nishantha Thusara Perera has been asked to give evidence against a person regarding some cattle thefts about which he knows nothing.
We request your urgent intervention to save him from torture and also to investigate into the matter.
Sincerely yours,
-----------------------------
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
