Sri Lanka: Prisoners’ rights activist under death threat

A leading rights activist in Sri Lanka who is a key witness in a prison massacre has been threatened with death in the Colombo suburbs.

Police in Moratuwa received a complaint by the Convener of the Committee to Protect Rights of Prisoners, Sudesh Nandimal de Silva on Wednesday (10) night that a group of men threatened to kill him unless he gives up seeking justice for inmates massacred by security personnel in a high security prison.

At least 27 inmates died in clashes when armed security personnel stormed the Welikada prison in November 9, 2012. Nearly 40 were injured.

'Six feet under'

Sudesh Nandimal, who is also the convener of the Peoples’ Collective Against the Welikada Massacre told JDS that those who approached him around 9pm has threatened him to ‘give up the Welikada case as it will land several of them in jail, and he will be six feet under if the warning goes unheeded’.

The report of the investigation led by Retired High Court judge Nimal Nambuwasam was handed over to the justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on 9 jun 2015.

Sudesh Nandimal who was witnessed the Welikada massacre urges the government to help him live without fear by taking legal action against those named in the investigation report, that is yet to be made public.

© JDS