Tag: torture

Elderly Woman Allegedly Assaulted by Police While Trying to Protect Son-in-law

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    Matugama, Sri Lanka – September 10, 2023: In a shocking incident that unfolded on the evening of September 7, 2023, a 65-year-old woman named Kusumavati, residing in Karanpatara Navuttuduwa, Matugama, was allegedly assaulted by police officers while attempting to protect her son-in-law, Asanka Suresh, aged 27, from being taken into custody. According to reports, Asanka Suresh, who works in a nearby tea estate, was on his way home from work when he was apprehended by two police inspectors, Chandima and Sadaruwan, both from the Matugama police force. Asanka…

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Bringing Justice and Relief to Torture Victims

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Today is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture That Sri Lanka is a country where torture is rife has been well documented by several international organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) and Freedom From Torture. According to Freedom from Torture, despite being a top holiday destination, Sri Lanka has consistently been the country from where it receives the most clients. Although the civil war ended in 2009, that has not ended human rights violations. Most at risk of torture…

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Permission to hear the Fundamental Rights Petition against the Baduraliya Police

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The Supreme Court yesterday(16) granted leave to hear a fundamental rights petition filed by Suranjith Wickremanayake alleging that he was brutally beaten and arbitrarily arrested by officers of the Baduraliya Police Station. The Supreme Court has allowed the petition to be heard in violation of the Constitution’s right to refrain from torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment, as well as the right to arbitrary arrest and impunity. Attorney-at-Law Shelomi Daniel appeared before the Supreme Court on behalf of the petitioner along with Attorney-at-Law Armisa Tigel on the…

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protect the right to report, protest and speak.

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STATEMENT ON ARRESTS, DETENTION AND TORTURE OF PERSONS AT THE MIRIHINA PUBLIC PROTEST ON 31st  MARCH 2022 The Sri Lanka Collective Against Torture (SLCAT) condemns the arrests, detention and torture of protestors and by-standers at the public protest at Mirihana, Nugegoda on the night of 31st March 2022. These persons had gathered to exercise their basic civic right to highlight the devastating impact of the economic crisis which has led to island wide power outages and a fuel shortage which has impacted essential services and the supplies of food and…

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A guidebook for lawyers.

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a guidebook for lawyers

It is important for lawyers dealing with torture complaints to act promptly and efficiently against the backdrop of increasing in police and state torture. To support them, The Right Life Organization has teamed up with Attorney – in – law Ms. Armisa Tigel, the organization has long campaigned against torture, inhuman acts and degrading treatments to develop guidelines for lawyers dealing with torture cases and to launch in collaboration with the human right lawyers association. The key points are addressed by Mr. Saliya Peiris, President’s Councel, and President of the Bar Association of Srilanka and other points were…

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Forensic evidence of torture found on murdered Tamil youth

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A second autopsy on a Tamil youth from Batticaloa who was “beaten to death” Sri Lankan police, has reportedly revealed signs of torture according to lawyers for the murdered man’s family. 22-year old Chandran Vithusan was tied to a tree and assaulted in front of his family members by Sri Lankan police officers, before being taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 3rd. He was pronounced dead the following morning. Tamil lawyer Sugas Kanagaratnam and Vithusan’s family had demanded a second autopsy, after an initial autopsy…

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The Complaint by a young mother of sexual harassment suffered at the Padukka Police Station.

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A woman raise her voice against police sexual abuse suffered at the Padukka Police station. She appeals to the President and the IGP for seeking justice. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has also sent an open letter to the IGP that urging to urgently intervene by, (a) Ensuring her protection (b) Conducting an urgent inquiry (c) Ensure Arrest and criminal action against the accused. Following is a translation of the transcript of her message. (The translation from Sinhala to English by Asian Human Rights Commission) My husband, my two…

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Sri Lanka police did not allow me to visit the harassed journalist – lawyer Namal Rajapapakse

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Journalist Sujeewa Gamage

Human rights lawyer Namal Rajapaksa accused the Colombo Crime Division of Sri Lanka Police had further harassed an alleged torture victim because a lawyer had tried to help him. The relevant torture victim who was treated in Colombo national hospital from March 10 to 17 was a journalist called Sujeewa Gamage. The journalist claimed that he had been abducted at Meerigama and tortured by an unknown gang of four persons he suspected of being the defence personnel. He claimed that he was dropped near the Muslim cemetery in Dematagoda later.…

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Abduction and demands for ransom by some officers of Kuda oya Police Station

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Two young men named Wicramage Shanaka Chathuranga and Wicramage Eishan Chintaka Lakamal both from Ambilipitiye were abducted under suspicion of the theft of four buffaloes. At the police station, they were severely tortured. According to the family, the family members were denied access to the suspects and the police denied having abducted or taken them into custody. Later, on information received by the family, they inquired from the Kuda oya Police and heard the both suspects shouting “Buddhu sir please do not torture us”. Then, one of the officers according to…

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