Maldives Free our Madushanka

 

Date 27^th 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 23^rd 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 22^nd September 2016. However 04^th 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 22^nd 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 22^nd 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