Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that on 23 June 2004, the Trincomalee Magistrate ordered the exhumation of Mr. Senarath Hettiarchchilage Abeysinghe’s body, who died under highly suspicious circumstances, on May 17. This order was made after recording the statement of Mr. Abeysinghe’s wife who stated in court that her husband had been tortured by his colleagues at the Trincomalee Police Station and that he had been admitted to the hospital for his injuries. She further stated that he had made a statement to that effect to the National Human Rights Commission before his death. While in a hospital, the doctors had also recorded severe injuries he had suffered due to being assaulted by a blunt instrument.
Mr. Abeysinghe had earlier been buried with police honors and without a post-mortem. On the basis of the fresh evidence presented to court, the court ordered the exhumation of his body for the purpose of conducting a post-mortem inquiry. Meanwhile, the police will conduct further inquiries and record further evidence. The victim’s wife previously reported that the doctors who conducted the autopsy upon her husband’s body did not reveal the cause of death to the relatives, but insisted that she sign the relevant papers.
Please send a letter to the National Police Commission (NPC) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and ask them to observe the proceedings and take appropriate action about this case.
To see our previous appeal regarding this case, please go to:
UA-67-2004: http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2004/700/
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
Re: SRI LANKA: Magistrate orders exhumation of the body of the police officer who allegedly died due to torture
I am writing to bring to your attention the latest development in the suspicious death case of Mr. Senarath Hettiarchchilage Abeysinghe (39).
According to the information I have received, on 23 June 2004 the Trincomalee Magistrate ordered the exhumation of Mr. Abeysinghe's body for the purpose of conducting a post-mortem inquiry. Mr. Abeysinghe died under highly suspicious circumstances on May 17.
This order was made after recording the statement of Mr. Abeysinghe's wife who stated in court that her husband had been tortured by his colleagues at the Trincomalee Police Station, which led him to be admitted to a hospital for treatment and he had made a statement to that effect to the National Human Rights Commission before his death. He had earlier been buried with police honors and without a post-mortem.
I request you to closely observe the proceedings of the post-mortem of Mr. Abeysinghe and ensure transparency in this matter. I also ask you to take appropriate action about this case and bring the perpetrators to justice without delay.
Sincerely yours,
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1. Mr. Ranjith Abeysuriya PC
Chairman National Police Commission
69-1 Ward Place, Colombo 7
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 669 128 / 691 926
Fax HOME: +94 11 2 674148
E-mail:
polcom@sltnet.lk2. 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
Also send a copy to:
1. 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.net2. 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
3. Ms. Asma Jahangir
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
c/o OHCHR-UNOG, 1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +92 42 5763 234
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 / +92 42 5763 236
Email:
webadmin.hchr@unog.ch or
asmalaw@brain.net.pk***
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
