10/10/2022
Mr. Chandana Wickramaratne,
IGP,
Police Headquarters,
the Colombo.
Inspector General of Police,
Demanding an investigation into the attack on the peaceful protestors and the arrest of Assistant Superintendent of Police Dilruk and others.
A group of police officers who stormed a peaceful protest and celebration held yesterday (09, October) at Colombo Galle Face Green interrupted it and the participants were treated cruelly, inhumanely and humiliatingly.
While the right to free speech is protected by the constitution, the Sri Lankan police not only allowed them to enjoy this right, but also attacked the peaceful gathering and arrested a number of people including a school student.
Police officers including Assistant Superintendent of Police, Nalin Dilruk harassed a couple holding a one year old child and harassed a mother accompanying a girl child. In addition, a teenager who is still attending school was arrested while he was broadcasting the incident live on social media and detained for several hours. He was among the number of peaceful protesters were also arrested.
A one-year-old child has been hospitalized due to police harassment and the child’s father is also hospitalized.
It is clearly from the videos of the event t how those police officers not only violated basic rights but also committed offenses under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and offenses under the Penal Code.
We demand that the Special Investigation Unit of Police is entrusted to carry out an impartial investigation into the behavior of Officer In Charge of Fort Police Station Sagar Liyanage, Assistant Superintendent of Police Naleen Dilruk, Senior Superintendent of Police Roshan Dias, arrest them and present them to court, take legal action against them; and to conduct a disciplinary inquiry at the same time.
Once the investigation begins, the necessary evidence will be made available.
Thank you,
Tharindu Jayawardene
President,
Association of Young Journalists
[email protected]
CC:
1) Director of Investigation, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.
2) President, Bar Association of Sri Lanka.
3) Executive Committee, Young Bar Association.
( English translation of the original Sinhala letter by Sri Lanka Brief.)