A/HRC/7/3/Add.6
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In Colombo he had not shown the torture marks to anyone because he was afraid of being
brought back to Bogambara. He has to present himself to the court in Kandy on 5 February 2008
and is frightened of being detained in Bogambara Prison again. He made no complaints
regarding his treatment in Welikada Prison. On examination by the forensic doctor there were
five fresh linear healing injuries to the back all aligned horizontally.The largest lesion was
a 30 by 1 cm “rail track” lesion. Below this was a 10 by 0.5 cm linear area of freshly developing
scarring with puckering of the margins. Over the lumbar area of the lower back were
three horizontal parallel broader areas of scabbing and developing scarring two of which were
15 by 1.5 cm and one of which was 8 by 2 cm. There were corresponding freshly repaired tears
approximately 3 and 8 cm in length to the shirt. Over the back of the right forearm just below the
elbow was a horizontal linear healing lightly scabbed injury. The pattern of injuries was
indicative of a beating to the back using a linear object with a circular cross sectional shape
while the victim was relatively immobile but at one point sustaining a defensive type injury
when raising the right arm for protection. The age of the injuries as assessed from the degree of
healing was consistent with the time frame alleged and the pattern of injuries was very strongly
corroborative of the circumstances of infliction alleged.
95. The Prison Director promised that Mr. R.K.G. Jayantha Kulasinghe would get medical
treatment and not be transferred back to Bogambara Prison. In addition, he explained that he will
initiate an investigation regarding the case.
XVIII. NEW MAGAZINE PRISON (FEMALE WARD), COLOMBO
(Visited on 7 October 2007)
96. On the day of the visit, the New Magazine Prison had an inmate population
of 626 prisoners, of which 189 were convicted prisoners, 408 were on remand, 25 were
on appeal for life and death sentences, and four were being held as LTTE suspects.
Thirty-three children were also held together with their mothers in the prison, including 17 boys
and 16 girls. The female ward is very well kept and clean. There is a very well equipped
“day care” for the children of the prisoners. However, the pretrial detention wing is heavily
overcrowded. The Special Rapporteur´s delegation was received by Chief Jailer
Kumari Rathnaweera.
97. Detainees, female. In May 2007, the two sisters were arrested on suspicion of membership
in the LTTE. Both women were questioned in a police station by male officers and asked to sign
a statement in Sinhalese. Though no violence was used they were subjected to vulgar language.
They were transferred to Boosa the next day where they remained for four months. At Boosa,
they were again interrogated. They signed statements out of fear without knowing what they
were signing because it was in Sinhalese. They were later transferred with all the women to
TID in Colombo, where they stayed for two days, and then to Magazine Prison in Colombo
on 1 October 2007. Neither woman made allegations regarding ill-treatment in detention.
98. M.W.R., aged 20. She was transferred from Boosa TID Detention Centre together with the
sisters, above. She was arrested (together with her mother) at her house near Batticoloa and taken
to Kalmunai Police Station on 9 September 2007. While her mother was released she was kept in
custody at the police station until 19 September 2007 and then transferred to Boosa TID
Detention Centre. She made no allegations, but was very scared.
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