Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received an another torture case from Welawa, Sri Lanka. According to the information we have received, a young man named Nanumuralage Roshan Jayaweera (26) was illegally arrested and brutally tortured by the Wariyapola police on 14 July 2004. In particular, when the victim went to the Wariyapola Police Station to lodge a complaint about the incident to the Officer In Charge (OIC) on the following day, the OIC ignored him and his complaint was not recorded at all. Since then, there has been no investigation taken by the police to inquire into this matter. Your urgent action is required to pressure the local authorities to conduct an immediate investigation of this case and prosecute the responsible officers.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:
Name of the victim: Nanumuralage Roshan Jayaweera, 26 years old, married with one child, a Timber sawyer, resides in Welawa junction, Welawa
Alleged perpetrators: 1) an officer from crimes branch of Wariyapola Police Station (could be identified if seen), 2) Police Constable No. 9687 and another police constable attached to the Wariyapola Police Station, 3) Officer In Charge (OIC) of the Wariyapola Police Station
Date of incident: 14 July 2004
Place of incident: Wariyapola Police Station
Case details:
At about 9:00 a.m. of 14 July 2004, Nanumuralage Roshan Jayaweera went to report to the Wariyapola Police Station along with his wife and another person at the request of the police. When they arrived in the police station, an officer (could be identified if seen) from the crimes branch took him to a room. The officer then slapped his face several times and pulled his hair and questioned where he was on 18-19 June 2004. After that, the officer closed the door and removed N. R. Jayaweera’s shirt and assaulted him with a belt for some time. After this, the officer took the victim out of the room and handed him over to police constable No. 9687 and another officer, who also severely assaulted him with hands for about 15 minutes. The police ordered him to sit on a bench in the police station until 4:30 p.m. and released him to go home.
The following day (July 15), N.R. Jayaweera went to the Wariyapola Police Station and complained to the Officer In Charge (OIC) about his assault by the police on the previous day. However, the OIC ignored him and his complaint was not recorded at all.
On 15 July 2004, N.R. Jayaweera was in severe pain due to the police assault and went to Kurunegala General Hospital for the treatment. He was admitted in ward no. 35 for two days and discharged from hospital. While he was in hospital, the police post at Kurunegala General Hospital took his statement that the Wariyapola police assaulted him. In addition, a Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of the hospital examined him. However, there has been no serious action taken by the police to inquire into this matter.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter, fax or an email to the addresses below and express your concern about this case.
1. Mr. Mahindra Rajapakse
Prime Minister
Cambridge Place, Colombo 7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 682905 / 575454
E-mail: secpm@sltnet.lk or bradmanw@slt.lk
2. 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
3. Mr. Ranjith Abeysuriya PC
Chairman National Police Commission
69-1 Ward Place, Colombo 7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 669 528
Fax HOME: +94 11 2 674148
E-mail: polcom@sltnet.lk
4. Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
Chairperson
National 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
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
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
Re: SRI LANKA: Illegal arrest and brutal torture of a young man by the Wariyapola police
Name of the victim: Nanumuralage Roshan Jayaweera, 26 years old, married with one child, a Timber sawer, resides in Welawa junction, Welawa
Alleged perpetrators: 1) an officer from crimes branch of Wariyapola Police Station (could be identified if seen), 2) Police Constable No. 9687 and another police constable attached to the Wariyapola Police Station, 3) Officer In Charge (OIC) of the Wariyapola Police Station
Date of incident: 14 July 2004
Place of incident: Wariyapola Police Station
I am writing to bring to your attention the illegal arrest and brutal torture of a young man by the Wariyapola police on 14 July 2004.
According to the information received, when Nanumuralage Roshan Jayaweera went to the Wariyapola Police Station at the request of the police on 14 July 2004, the police brutally tortured him with a belt and hands. More seriously, even though N.R. Jayaweera went to the Wariyapola Police Station to lodge a complaint to the the Officer In Charge (OIC) on the following day (July 15), his complaint was ignored and was not recorded at all.
In Sri Lanka, even though there are clear rules and regulations that the police have to observe while they investigate a case, the police never respect these regulations and frequently use torture as a measure to inquire into a person. Therefore, I urge to the Sri Lankan government to ensure these regulations be strictly applied at all police stations and take genuine steps to stop the practice of torture by the police.
I also urge you to order an immediate investigation of this case, prosecute the perpetrators mentioned above, and bring them to justice as soon as possible. The other officers of the Wariyapola police who were involved in torturing the victim, and the OIC who neglected his duty to inquire into this case, should be suspended from their jobs while the legal procedure is going on. I further urge you to provide proper medical treatment to the victim. The victim must be compensated as well.
Yours truly,
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
