On March 20, 2014, Magistrate No. 2 of Colombo issued, upon a request made by the TID, three separate orders against Mr. Ruki Fernando and Rev. Praveen Mahesan. The first ordered them to impound their passport to travel outside the country and the second ordered all computer laptops and iPads in their possession to be taken by the TID. The third order banned Mr. Fernando and Rev. Praveen Mahesan from speaking to anyone, locally or internationally, including their relatives, about anything related to the investigation conducted by the TID against them. These orders were taken after Mr. Ruki Fernando was interviewed by CNN and BBC[2]. In both interviews, Mr. Fernando rejected the accusations of terrorism made by the authorities.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Sri Lanka, urging them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Ruki Fernando, as well as of all human rights defenders in Sri Lanka;
ii. Repeal the gag order restricting freedom of expression and return the equipment confiscated from Mr. Ruki Fernando;
iii. Put an end to any acts of harassment - including at the judicial level - against Mr. Ruki Fernando and all human rights defenders in Sri Lanka and ensure that they are able to carry out their peaceful and legitimate activities without any hindrance and fear of reprisals;
iv. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially regarding the following Articles:
- Article 1: everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels;
- Article 5 (a): For the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels (a) To meet or assemble peacefully;
- Article 12.2: the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of his or her rights [...];
v. Ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Sri Lanka.
Addresses:
· President Maithripala Sirisena, Presidential Secretariat, C Presidential Secretariat
Galle Face, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka, Fax: (+94) 11 2340340, Email:
ps@presidentsoffice.lk· Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister's Office
No: 58, Sir Ernest De Silva Mawatha,
Colombo 07, Sri Lanka. Fax no: (+94) 112 575310 / (+94) 112 574143. Email:
info@pmoffice.gov.lk· Hon. Yuvanjana Jawaharlal Wanasundera Wijayatilake, Attorney General of Sri Lanka, P. O. BOX 502, Hulftsdorp, Colombo 12, Sri Lanka. Fax: (+94) 11 243 6421. Email:
administration@attorneygeneral.gov.lk· Justice Priyantha R.P. Perera, Chairman, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. No: 165 Kynsey Road, Borella, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka. Fax: (+94) 11 2 694924. Email:
sechrc@sltnet.lk· H.E. Mr. Ravinatha P. Aryasinha, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, 56 rue de Moillebeau, 1211 Geneva 19. Switzerland. Fax: +41 22 73 49 084. E-mail:
mission@lankamission.org· Mr. E. Rodney M. Perera, Ambassador, Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , Brussels , Belgium (also accredited to Luxembourg and to the European Union), Rue Jules Lejeune 27
1050 Brussels
Belgium. Fax: (+32) 2 344 67 37. Email:
secretariat@srilankaembassy.be Please also write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Sri Lanka in your respective country.
***
[1]
http://www.dailynews.lk/editorial/defending-human-rights-terrorists[2] See
http://groundviews.org/2014/03/22/video-of-ruki-fernandos-interview-with-the-bbc/