The Asian Human Rights Commission is seeking justice over the alleged death after torture by the STF in public of a human rights defender in Puttalam.
The AHRC says in a statement that it has received information that human rights defender Perumal Sivakumara (32) of Kalpitiya Road, Norochcholai has died after being tortured in public by officers attached to the Special Task Force of the Sri Lanka Police.
Perumal a well-known civil rights activist had gone to the town along with a friend to buy some medicine.
At that time a large number of people had gathered at the church because a stranger had been terrorizing the village.
When Perumal approached the gathering police officers arrived and started to beat some of the people.
Despite the pleadings of Perumal he was severely tortured and later admitted to the Puttalam Base Hospital where he later died.
No investigation has been started into the torture and extrajudicial killing of Perumal.
This case is yet another illustration of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country, AHRC says.
It asks that letters be sent to the authorities expressing concern about this case and requesting an immediate investigation into the allegations of torturing by the police perpetrators.
The officers involved must also be subjected to internal investigations for the breach of the department orders as issued by the police department.
The AHRC also wants requests to the NPC and the IGP to have a special investigation into the malpractices of the police officers for abusing the state officers’ powers.
It has also written a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteurs on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions; and on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in this regard.
AHRC
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