SRI LANKA: A Sister’s 20 Year Long Struggle For Justice For Her Brother Killed By The Police

On the universal day for torture victims, this year, a book will be launched by The Right to Life organization working in collaboration with the AHRC on a long standing case, which is continuing in courts, regarding a man who was killed extra-judicially, inside a Police station. The author of the book is Amitha Priyanthi, the younger sister of the deceased. When the death took place after her brother was kept at a police station for five days, she was just a school going girl. However, the shock of this…

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SC orders policemen to pay for youth’s death after assault

The Supreme Court has ordered six police personnel at the Kandaketiya Police Station to pay compensation of Rs.300,000 to a mother of a 17-year-old deceased son who died after being assaulted by police personnel in 2014. The Supreme Court further ordered the six respondents to pay Rs.60,000 to the petitioner in lieu of litigation costs. The six respondents have been found guilty of murder of the deceased, being members of an unlawful assembly and they were sentenced to death by the Badulla High Court in a judgement dated January 9,…

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A suspect has died in police custody in Batticaloa

A suspect arrested by the Batticaloa Police has died in police custody yesterday (03). The deceased has been identified as Chandran Vidushan (21), a resident of Irudayampura, Batticaloa. He was arrested by the Batticaloa Police at night on 2nd June over a tip received by the Batticaloa Police that he was selling cannabis. According to Vidushan’s relatives, the police arrived at around 10.30 pm and searched the whole house while he was handcuffed and tied to a tree. Though nothing was found there, the police has arrested him and taken…

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It Is Time ‌for The Judiciary to Defend Itself

It Is Time ‌for The Judiciary to Defend Itself

By Basil Fernando The recommendations by a Commission appointed by the President, recommending that a large number of criminal cases that have been filed in the Courts of Sri Lanka be withdrawn, is the deadliest blow that has been dealt to the administration of justice in Sri Lanka. If this recommendation is put into effect, the consequence would be that of replacing the Judiciary of Sri Lanka with anyone that the President may choose to appoint in order to annul any of the proceedings that are instituted in a court…

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Did the suspect who died in mt.Lavinia due to Police torture?

police torture in mount lavinia police station

Relatives of a man who died after being arrested by Mount Lavinia Police and produced before a court have lodged a complaint with the IGP and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. The deceased has been identified as Vasana Susantha Dissanayake, 49, a resident of Pasal Mawatha, Kalubowila. He is said to have run a motorcycle repair business by profession. His son also runs a motorcycle spare parts shop in Attidiya. Vasana Susantha, who died on March 18, was arrested by the police in Ratmalana while carrying food to…

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Not everyone who wear uniform can solve crimes- Philip Disanayake

Not everyone who wear uniform can solve crimes

In 2020 alone, 26 illegal killings were reported, said Philip Dissanayake, a member of the Convening Board of the Sri Lankan Alliance Against Torture. He points out that there have been 16 incidents and 26 inmates have been killed along with 11 other prisoners who died in the Mahara incident. He says there are three criteria as a key factor in establishing human rights in a country: the first is that murders cannot take place outside the country, the second is that disappearances are not allowed, and the third is…

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