Torture

– Perpetrators: Officers attached to Matugama Police Station, including Sub-Inspector Thennekone, Sergeant Ajith Vithana, PC 26166 Liyanage and PC 13543 Anil in the presence of about 15 others.

V. G. G. Chaminda Premalal was arrested by several Aralaganvila police officers while he was at home. The arrest took place on July 9, 2002, at about 7:40 p.m. The arresting officers said that Chaminda Premalal was taken for questioning for several theft cases. At the police station, he was told that he was responsible for breaking into a hair salon and some houses in the area. He was then beaten with a PVC pipe on his back, including his spinal cord, and on the soles of his feet. His head was pushed hard against a wall several times. He was then pushed onto the floor, and the officers trampled upon his body.

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to learn that the Prosecution of Torture Perpetrators Unit of the Attorney General’s Department has forwarded the information provided by AHRC on the torture of H.P. Nandini S. Herat to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and asked CID to conduct a criminal investigation into the […]

Two children studying at Millika Mahavidyala School in Hiniduma, Sri Lanka, were arrested by officers attached to the Hiniduma police station who were investigating a theft which had taken place in the school canteen. One 10-year-old child was in Grade 5, T. K. Hiran Rasika, and the other 12-year-old child was in Grade 8, E. A. Kasun Madusanka.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to learn that The Prosecution of Torture Perpetrators Unit of the Attorney General’s Department has forwarded the information provided by AHRC on the torture of H.P. Nandini S.Herat to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and asked CID to conduct a criminal investigation into the allegation. The letter […]

Susil Jayalath was arrested by the Sapugaskanda police with two other people. According to the family, when the police arrested the 19-year-old, he was drinking a king coconut in an area where the police had made a raid against drug-users. According to the family, the boy did not use any drugs, and, in fact, he did not even smoke.

A major dispute has erupted between the two most senior police officers in Sri Lanka. The row began with a statement made by the senior deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, H. M. B. G. Kotakadeniya, to the effect that discipline in the Sri Lankan police force has collapsed. This caused the country’s highest police […]

Eric Antunia Kramer, a 43-year-old father of three children, is a welding mechanic for the Ceylon Grain Elevators Ltd., which is located at Rock House Lane, Colombo 15. He has been employed by this company since 1995. The Singaporean-owned Company, which produces poultry food, complained of an attempt to break into the company’s safe by an unknown burglar.

Regarding the torture case of Jerad Perera in Sri Lanka, issued by the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) on June 17, 2002, three judges of Supreme Court of Sri Lanka heard the submissions of the petitioner in the fundamental rights violation case in which Jerad Perera complained of brutal torture by the Officer In Charge […]

SRI LANKA: Supreme Court Grants Leave to Proceed in Jerad Perera’s Torture Case THE SUMMARY On 26th of June, three judges of Supreme Court of Sri Lanka heard the submissions of the petitioner in the fundamental rights violation case in which Jerad Perera complained of brutal torture by the Officer In Charge (OIC) and 7 […]

A clear pattern is emerging in cases of torture by the police based on several similar cases in Sri Lanka, that is, a person is arrested on the mere suspicion of committing a crime or some tip-off, no attempt is made to check the facts before arresting the person, the method of finding out the ¡°truth¡± is by severe torture. The people who receive the worst treatment are often innocent people who are unable to give the information that is requested.

Dear Friends, We are sending you herewith the following updates on the four cases of torture from Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, none of these four cases has been investigated and the officers who have allegedly committed these crimes, still enjoy their privileges and impunity, even though some of their name already have been reported. Therefore, we […]

Victim: Waragodamudalige Gerald Mervin Perera (39)  AHRC is alarmed by the torture of Waragodamudalige Gerald Mervin Perera, 39, father of 2 children, by eight police officers at the Wattala Police Station in Sri Lanka. The victim, Gerald Perera is presently under life support system in a hospital due to the injuries caused by the police.  […]

UA-22-2002: Torture case of Herat Pathirannehelage Nandani Sriyalatha Heart in Sri Lanka SRI LANKA: Gross human rights violence against woman – Arbitrary arrest, sexual abuses and torture by police ——————————————————————– Herat Pathirannehelage Nandani Sriyalatha Herat is a 39-years-old Sri Lankan woman who is not married and is a virgin. She was arrested by several police […]

Dear Friends  Following is an URGENT update on the case of Mr. Lalith Rajapakse, a torture victim in Sri Lanka. Following letter has been sent by the AHRC to the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to seek their urgent intervention. We are requesting you to act urgently by sending letters to relevant authorities […]

Dear Friends,  Regarding our previous urgent appeal on the torture case of Mr. Lalith Rajapakse (Re: UA-18/2002, http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/240/), we are forwarding you a copy of a letter written by AHRC to the Minster of Interior of Sri Lanka, Mr. John Amaratunga on the failure to punish law enforcement officers who engage in torture, and other […]

Dear Friends,  Regarding the torture case of Mr. Greesha de Silva (Previous appeal has spelled as Grissa) in Sri Lanka, We are sending you the medical report in this case.  No inquiry has yet started under Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel and Inhuman and Degrading Punishment or Treatment Act, (Act No 22 of 1994), […]

SRI LANKA: Frequent and cruel tortures by the police – Urging actions to prevent torture and implement the law with participation of UN Agencies ——————————————————————– The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to draw your attention to the following torture case. CASE DETAILS – Torture resulting in loss of the use of both hands (likely […]

Dear Friends  Following is an update with some progress on the case of Mr. Lalith Rajapakse, a torture victim in Sri Lanka. We are not requesting any further action at this stage, but we may request this in the near future is there is no positive action for his state of health and the prosecution […]

MAJOR COLOMBO EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS FAILURE TO PREVENT TORTURE A major exhibition on ‘elimination of torture’ opened at the Public Library auditorium in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 16th of April. The exhibits depict individual cases of torture, paintings on the theme of torture, and posters explaining the reasons for torture and laws against torture, highlighting […]