Please - Odhikar

Procedure, made a request to the Sri Lankan government to adopt all necessary measures to
protect the life, safety and personal integrity of the author and his family members, so as to
avoid irreparable damage to them. [Untied Nations High Commission for Human Rights
Reference: G/SO 215/51 SRI (7)]
However, there was no response from authorities. In February 2004, there were attempts on his
life. Mr. Fernando subsequently left the country, in view of the inability and unwillingness of
authorities to guarantee his security.
iii. Mr. Mohamed Priyantha
Mr. Priyantha is a torture victim, who filed a charge of torture at the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) and the National Police Commission (NPC), against the officer-in-charge
(OIC) and a police constable from the Horana Police Station. He has been threatened and
intimidated by the police in an effort to pressure him to withdraw his complaint.
Following his detention, Priyantha has consistently been receiving messages from the
perpetrators demanding him to withdraw his complaint against them. A friend informed
Priyantha that the perpetrators had been looking for him and that he would be killed if he
continues with the case filed before the NHRC and NPA. He then filed the matter in a police
station in Vavuniya, which is approximately 250 kilometers from his home for fear of his life.
Despite the charges against the perpetrators, no sanctions or restrictions have been imposed on
them. In fact, they have continued to work in the same police unit where the incident of torture
took place.
3.3 Key issues:
� Victims are often threatened-during trial, before trials and even after. Even when the matter
is such that the Attorney General files cases!
� Multiple and continuing victimization-as evident in the above case studies, most victims
end being end of being continuously victimized-being threatened, abused over and over again.
� In many cases, threats to victims and witnesses target family members- and in many cases,
the lives of family members, including children, are affected by threats, intimidation and
harassment on victims and witnesses.
� Victims and Witnesses are often forced to rely on protection from the perpetrators of human
rights violations. In many instances, perpetrators of human rights violations continue to serve in
the respective areas.
� Police and even powerful local politicians often offer bribes to poor victims and witnesses,
as incentives for not testifying and withdrawing cases against them.
� Fabrication of false charges create frustration as well as practical difficulties for witnesses
and victims, thereby making some of them either reluctant to testifying or withdraw cases.
� Victimization by delayed court cases- including instances where witnesses travel far to
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