Sri Lanka: Still No Justice for Razeek After Two Years of His Abduction and Killing

Source: http://www.forum-asia.org

For immediate release
13 February 2012
(Bangkok, 13 February 2012) The Sri Lankan government must make available the post-mortem report and the DNA test report of human rights defender, P. Razeek to the court, the family and the lawyer of Razeek’s family soonest possible, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) that marked the second anniversary of the abduction and killing of P. Razeek. The group also expressed its disappointment and concerns that several individuals implicated in the case have yet to be investigated by the authorities to this date.

P. Razeek was disappeared on 11 February 2010. After much delay in the police investigation, his dead body was only found on 28 July 2011 by the police in Kavathamunai, Oddamavadi, Valaichenai province. P. Razeek was Managing Trustee of the Community Trust Fund (CTF) and represented CTF in the executive committee of FORUM-ASIA.

“We received information that the family and lawyer of Razeek have yet to receive the post-mortem report and the deoxyribonucleic acid test (DNA) test report that may reveal the truth behind the murder of Razeek. The Sri Lankan authorities should explain publicly why they are still holding these reports in secrecy and hinder the process of seeking justice for Razeek,” said Yap Swee Seng, executive director of FORUM-ASIA. He urged the Sri Lankan authorities to present the two reports in the next hearing of Razeek’s case on 16 February 2012.

Razeek’s body was sent to Batticaloa Hospital on 28 July 2011 for post-mortem. The post-mortem was completed on 2 August 2011 with the body released to the family on the same day. Samples of Mr. Razeek teeth, skin, hair, etc were taken by the Colombo Crimes Division and sent to the Gene Tech lab for DNA testing on 4th August 201. Mr. Razeek’s son, Riskhan supplied blood to the Gene Tech Lab on 8th August 2011. Stomach samples from Mr. Razeek’s body were sent to the Government Analyst on 5th August 2011.

The police have arrested two suspects, Nowshaadh and Musdeen for investigation. The human rights group however said more should be called in for investigation, including Irshard, the Parliamnetary Secretary to Minister Rishard Bathiudeen, who stated publicly in October 2010 that Razeek was held by the Defense Ministry, the persons travelling in the vehicle with suspect Musdeen, in which Razeek was abducted and the persons travelling with suspect Nowshaadh, who admitted to meeting with Razeek in Polonnaruwa on the day he disappeared.

The human rights group also urged the police to question Resettlement Minister, Bathiudeen as suspect Nowshaadh revealed that he was travelling together with several others in a vehicle belonging to the Resettlement Ministry on the day he met Razeek before his disappearance.

“The inaction on the part of the Sri Lankan authorities in investigating these individuals will only testify that the concerns of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission that ‘undue political interference has contributed to the lapses in the part of the police’ in this case may be well founded,” added Yap.

END

For more information, please contact Mr. Yap Swee Seng, Executive Director

Tel: +66 81 868 9179 (Bangkok)

Email address: yap@forum-asia.org