SRI LANKA: Yet another man is killed by the police
June
27, 2012ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION-URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME
Dear
friends,
The
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that on 20 May
2012, M.D. Kalum Priyanath, a disabled labourer, went to a local temple to help
a monk run an errand. At 12pm, as he was returning home, Mr. Priyanath was
arrested by the police and taken to Welikanda Police Station. According to
police officers, Mr. Priyanath was in possession of marijuana, and was found
dead in his jail cell at 1pm as the result of a head injury caused by a fall.
Mr. Priyanath’s relatives believe that Mr. Priyanath was severely tortured and
killed by the police. Indeed, the report of a Judicial Medical Officer state
that Mr. Priyanath’s body sustained bruises, swelling and severe bleeding to the
back of his head. Despite the fact that the family has filed complaints with the
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), the Inspector General of Police
(IGP), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Assistanct Superintendent of
Police (ASP) of the Polonnaruwa and to the National Police Commission (NPC,)
each of these organizations have failed to initiate credible, impartial
investigations into Mr. Priyanath’s death. This case is yet another illustration
of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in Sri Lanka.
CASE
NARRATIVE: Read
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