Complaint lodged at UNHRC over assault of Agunukolapelassa prison inmates

A complaint has been lodged at the UNHRC in Geneva on the failure of the Government to punish those involved in the recent assault of the Agunukolapelassa inmates, Commitee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) Chairman Attorney Senaka Perera said.

Mr. Perera said that the complaint was made as the Minister of Prison Reforms, Ms. Thalatha Athukorala, who appointed two committees of inquiry into the attack, failed to take action against the perpetrators and nor did they make public the findings of the report published by the two committees.

Mr. Perera speaking to media said that CCTV footage of the assault was displayed before a council gathering as a means of creating awareness among civil society.

He questioned as to why the Minster had not taken measures to atleast reveal the recommendations of the report despite video evidence being available to prove the assault.

Minister Athukorale had previously appointed a committee chaired by Prisons Commissioner General Thushara Upuldeniya and also established a three-member committee comprising state officials to probe into the incident. However, Mr.  Perera claimed that the reports have not been made public since the submission of the report in February.

The assault carried out on the Agunukolapelassa prison inmates was first revealed during a press briefing convened by CPRP on November 22.