Sri Lanka: Torture and subsequent death of detainee

                          Case LKA 040299

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your intervention 
regarding the following situation in Sri Lanka.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat has been informed of the torture and 
subsequent death of Mr. Anura Sampath in Sri Lanka.

According to the information, on 30 December 1998, Mr. Anura Sampath, 
aged 24,  was taken from his sister's house to the Police Station at  
Moratuwa by police officers who reportedly said he had to make a 
statement.  On the same day, at night, his brother visited him at the 
Moratuwa Police Station.  Mr. Sampath told his brother that he had been 
severely beaten by some police officers.  Family members  sought the 
intervention of many persons to get Mr. Anura Sampath released. The 
next day, when relatives went to the police station, they were told that he 
was no longer being held there.  A police officer told them that he had 
been taken away to make a statement.

According to information received, the family was later told by the OIC 
(Officer-In-Charge) of the police station that Mr. Anura Sampath was 
dead. The police provided them with inaccurate information about the 
whereabouts of Mr. Sampath's corpse. Later, the family found the corpse 
at Kalubovilla Hospital.  

The postmortem inquiry requested by the family revealed that the body 
presented 24 internal injuries and that the death was due to assault. 

It was further reported that the Police have alleged that Mr. Anura 
Sampath died because he attempted to jump out of a police jeep.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities of  Sri Lanka urging them to 

i.  open a full and impartial investigation into the circumstances of 
    Mr Anura Sampath's death, and should it be found that he died 
    as a consequence of the torture, identify those responsible, 
    bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or 
    administrative sanctions provided by legislation;

ii.	ensure adequate compensation and reparation to Mr. Anura 
Sampath's family;

iii.	adopt immediate measures to stop the practice of torture in Sri 
Lanka;

  iv. ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and 
    fundamental freedoms in accordance with national laws and 
    international human rights standards.

Addresses

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Presidential Residence, 
"Temple Trees", Colombo 3, SRI LANKA, Telegrams	President 
Kumaratunga, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Fax	+ 94 1 33 37 03 

Hon. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister, 58 Sir Ernest de Silva 
Mawatha 
07 Colombo, Sri Lanka, Fax +94 1 575454

Hon. Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of Justice, Constitutional Affairs Ethnic 
Affairs & National Integration  Fax	+94 1 445447

Inspector General of Police W B Rajaguru, Police Headquarters, New 
Secretariat, Colombo 1, SRI LANKA, Fax	+ 94 1 43 89 15


Geneva,  4 February 1999

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.