Earlier the Sri Lankan government asked the United States to abandon the prosecution of one of those Canadian charged with buying equipment and laundering money for the separatist LTTEs.
The extraordinary request, in a letter sent to the U.S. State Department, concerns Suresh Sriskandarajah, 32, who was extradited to the US in December to stand trial on terrorism charges.
The extraordinary request, in a letter sent to the U.S. State Department, concerns Suresh Sriskandarajah, 32, who was extradited to the US in December to stand trial on terrorism charges.
The letter, which surfaced at Suresh’s bail hearing, urged the US to drop the charges against the suspect ‘in light of his publicly recognised efforts to secure a lasting, peaceful reconciliation for the Tamil people’, wrote Judge Raymond Dearie of the US District Court.
“Given the history of Sri Lanka’s prolonged and bitter conflict, the request is indeed an extraordinary initiative that evidences Suresh’s legitimate and admirable work to secure a lasting and just resolution of the tragic conflict,” The National Post quoted the judge as having said. But, the US prosecutors proceeded with the case, and the judge ruled the letter was not relevant to the bail proceedings, ordering. Suresh to be held in custody for the duration of the trial.
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