Maldives Free our Madushanka
Date
27th September 2016
The Commissioner
Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission
Colombo 08
Dear Commissioner
Seeking
Justice for Innocent Lahiru Madushanka, Currently Detained in Maldives
We are writing this letter with utmost depressed as a
parents and family members innocent Sri Lankan National Lahiru Madushanka
who is detained by Maldives Government by a false allegation on attempt to kill
the President of Maldives. Now our innocent Lahiru Madushanka is completed his
one year in prison which we can say with confident it is a illegal detention.
Still no relief for him rather what he all he had is mental and physical
torture since they day he was arrested.
We
have raised our voice with necessary government institution to release our
innocent son from this undemocratic group of people who are currently ruling
the Government of Maldives. Our son is a clear political pawn of the dirty
political revenge between their own political actors. Yet, our son didn’t get
any relief from this illegal detention.
We
would like to bring you a special attention that our Lahiru Madushanka life is
under threat at the Maldivian Detention. Whenever he is contacting us, he is
worried about his life and he scared that there are moves to kill him at the
prison by mixing with notorious gangsters. If anything worse happens to Lahiru,
the responsibility to should be taken by the Government of Maldives and
Government of Sri Lanka failing to provide protection to his life.
Now
we have one hope is your organization to come forward and raised the matter
with the Maldives Government and helped us to release him to reunite with his
family and Kid.
We
attached all the necessary court documents with this letter for you to consider
our appeal to rescue our innocent Lahiru Madushanka. Apart from that we need to
bring into your attention few points which is clearly stating that they are
using our son to gain their political mileage. We are disappointed that the
Government of Sri Lanka is not doing much to secure innocent Lahiru from this
illegal detention. Please note these points below which why our Madushanka
argued is innocent:
Point
1
Madushanka
is a decent law abiding Citizen of Sri Lanka
Lahiru
Madushanka born is a 27 year old Sri Lankan and never had any serious criminal
offence or criminal records in the past in Sri Lanka. He was student of Ananda
Sasthralaya College Kotte and having a good school character report from his
teachers. After completion his G C E ordinary
level examination, he was following a travel and ticketing course. Later he
travelled to Saudi Arabia as a low skilled worker to work in a palace. He spent
nearly 1 ½ years in Saudi Arabia and returned to Sri Lanka. Thereafter he
married and decided to settle back in Sri Lanka. After his marriage, he worked
for his former school teacher as a house driver for nearly 7 years. He was living in Malabe prior to this arrest.
However before his marriage, he was living with his parents in Rajagiriya. Lahiru is a father of a kid. Lahiru’s father
is a three wheel driver.
Point
2
Attachment
Sri Lanka Army as a Sniper allegations turned into Baseless Allegation
Despite continues public statement made by the
Government of Maldives regarding Madushanka confirmed attachment to Sri Lankan
Army as a professional sniper, The Sri Lanka Army officially stated that the
statement of Maldives Government is false and Lahiru never been attached with
the Sri Lanka Army.
A Government made this irresponsible and false
statement about an individual without doing the proper investigation and
intelligence sharing with the Sri Lanka government is clearly stating that they
plan to trap an innocent man for their dirty political chess game.
Unfortunately Madushanka became a victim to this rouge regime’s dirty
trick. It was stated that the innocent
Lahiru Madushanka came to Maladives to assassinate the President of Maldives
Abdullah Yameen through the order of the Vice President of Maldvies Mr Adeeb.
Maldives Government and Media are still continuing to
stating as a sniper to Lahiru Madushanka though he never worked for the Army.
It is very unfortunate that the Media who should stand for justice of
innocents, also failed to change that wording “Sniper” even though SL Army
confirmed that allegation is a baseless one. When there is an official denial
by the Sri Lanka Army about Lahiru Madushanka’s attachment with the Army and we
believe Government Authorities and media should refrain from calling him as a
sniper.
Point
3
Hiring
an Inexperience shooter as a Sniper is a fool of all the fools!
A sniper is a qualified specialist who operates alone,
in a pair, or with a sniper team to maintain close visual contact with the
enemy and engage targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the
detection capabilities of enemy personnel. Snipers typically have highly
selective or specialized training and use crew-served high-precision/special
application rifles and optics, and often have sophisticated communication
assets to feed valuable combat information back to their units or military
bases.
Obviously this type of caliber should be attached with
Army to get that training. However Madushanka have no records in the past in
any criminal report involved in any underworld activities. Hiring him to be a
sniper must be a fool’s decision based on the allegations made by the
Maldivians Authority. We believe only the fools will take such a risk by
getting someone to such a professional task.
Point
4
Detained
a Human without charges for longer period is the major violation of Human
Rights
Lahiru Madushanka remanded 23rd time with
over 275 days under Police remand without any charges against him. This was a
gross violation of human rights. Maldives Police, Foreign Minister Dunya
Mahmoon, and Home Affairs Minister Umar Naseer continuously and publicly stated
that they have credible evidence for months, and then they were failing to file
the charge against Lahiru Madushanka at Courts and continued the police remand. However after a Press
Conference speech from Former Human Rights Minister of Pakistan and Former
UNHRC Expert Adviser Mr. Ansar Burney and International Political Lobbyist and
Strategist Mr Muheed Jeeran raised this issue publicly and within days, they
charged him to start the court trial.
Point
5
Lahiru
Madushanka Subject to Torture is clearly proven
·
Madushanka was not
provided better medical support
·
Madushanka was physically
tortured by Maldives to submit a false statement in support of their political
conspiracy
·
Madushanka was not given
Lunch Meal during the Ramadan Month by stating is the Month of Ramadan. However
fasting is compulsory to Muslims only.
·
Madushanka is a foreigner
in the eyes of Maldives and it is not practical for his family to visit.
Therefore he should have given some additional support to contact his family.
Very unfortunately they gave only 5 minutes of conversation for every two
weeks.
·
Madushanka been given
mental torture by keeping him cells with notorious criminals who are not
allowing him to stay peaceful.
·
There were no information
been given to Sri Lanka Embassy about his arrest for few days. So he kept on
dark and denied his right to inform to his country.
·
Point
6
We
found shocking details about a deal approached by Maldives President Office to
Madushanka to make a statement against Adeeb and promised for a quick release
Lahiru Madushanka and family was approached by the
close associates of the President of Maldives by offering cash reward in order
to make a false statement against Former Vice President Adeeb and promising to
releasing Madushanka soon. However family of Madushanka and Lahiru Madushanka
refused to make a false statement and stood strongly with their son’s
innocence.
Maldives President team approached Madushanka friend
Yasas to discuss about this lucrative offer with Madushanka and his
family. Yasas contacted the family and
family refused to accept that offer. Maldivian President officer arranged a
phone conversation between Yasas in Sri Lanka and Madushanka in Maldives
Prison. It was a long phone conversation and Madushanka refused accept that
offer to make a false statement.
We have recordings of the phone conversation where
Lahiru family recorded it. We believe by violating a prison protocol of
allowing a convict to speak to someone outsider is truly a matter of cat of the
bag. Why do that wanted to make a deal if they have credible evidence against
Madushanka?
Point
7
No
Foul Play Found by Sri Lanka Intelligence on Madushanka
We approached the all intelligence department in Sri
Lanka and they informed that they have found that Madushanka was clearly not
involved in this attempted to murder case according to their series of
investigation including background check of Madushanka where Sri Lanka
requested to conducted an operation to find the reality of this allegation made
by the Maldivian Authorities. It was informed to the Maldivian Authorities but
they are still adamantly stating that the Madushanka had the sniper training in
the past where he was working in Middle East 7 years ago. We wonder how a 7
years back so called sniper training is enough satisfaction for the hiring
people to use Madushanka to the alleged operation successfully.
Point
8
Four
out of Five Witnesses Have No Contacts or Dealing with Madushanka or Any Sri
Lankan.
Currently the trial is ongoing and the last trial was
held on 22nd September 2016. However 04th of August 2016
they have filed the charges to the court. Within a very short period, they have
produced 4 witnesses to the trial and all the four witnesses never said they
had any contact or dealing with Madushanka or any other persons Sri Lankan.
Witnesses no 4 and 5 were meant to give evidence to
prove charge against Lahiru Madushanka that he knowingly took part in the
conspiracy to kill the President of Maldives by agreeing to come to Maldives.
Therefore upto the last of the case on 22nd September 2016, the
prosecution case yet to be proven any evidence against Madushanka.
There is one witness is remaining which is witness
number 3 and for that reason court is failing to dismiss this case. Now almost
1 month gone from the last case date and still they are dragging this case by
knowingly our Madushanka is innocent.
Point
9
Maldives
Intelligence Authority violated our Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty
We received from the Sri Lankan friend of Madushanka
who is the helped him to find a job and business opportunity in Maldives was
pressurized by Maldivian Intelligence Authority belongs to Department of Police
in Maldives by produce a false statement against the political opponent and
former Vice President Adeeb. We are closely in touch with the Sri Lanka Police
Department and Sri Lanka External Afairs. As far as we know they have told us
that the police authority of Maldives requested to visit Sri Lanka but approval
was not given. However we have told many times to the government authority of
Sri Lanka that the Maldives police have visited Sri Lanka illegally. However
still no action taken against the government of Maldives for violating our sovereign
rights.
But on 22nd September trial at the Maldives
High Court, Witness Number 5 said that he also gave statement to police in Sri
Lanka (ie Maldivian police in Sri Lanka) and later in Maldives volunteered to
give a statement but it was because police threatened to arrest his
brother if he did not give a statement as he was told to. What he has said in
his statement to the police were not true. Accepting the prosecution's
request, the Court refused to share these statements with any of the defendants
or any of their lawyers.
The above statement given to court by Witness number 5
is clearly stating Maldives Police Visited without any approval. However
government authorities of Sri Lanka denied or accept this report that they have
visited with their approval or without approval. Maldives Police never made a
statement by stating the report given to court by the witness number 5 is total
false. Therefore this is clearly stating that they have visited and now it is
the clear responsibility of Maldives Government and Sri Lanka Government make a
stand on this.
Conclusion
Based on the above study is clear that the arrest and
detained of Madushanka on suspicion of attempting to assassinate the President
of the Maldives is a fabricated one in order to take revenge against their own
local political enemies.
We
attached all the necessary documents with this humble appeal letter to your
consideration and expecting a big relief to our innocent Lahiru Madushanka and
his little family with a small kid. We are
humbly requesting you to help us and raise your voice for Justice to Our
Madushanka and bring him back home safely.
We
are waiting for a favourable response from you and your organization.
Yours Sincerely
Family of Lahiru Madushanka
………………….. …………………. …………………………..
Mr Ananda Silva Mrs
A E Shanthi Mrs Lahiru Madushnka
Father Mother Spouse
Report Prepared by Muheed Jeeran
International Political Lobbyist and Strategist
International Human Rights Activist
