The ICJ’s Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers wrote today to the Government of Sri Lanka expressing deep concern about the assassination of lawyer Kumar Ponnambalam.
A post-mortem report apparently revealed that Mr. Ponnambalam was shot five times in Colombo on 5 January 2000.
The ICJ’s Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers recalled that Mr. Ponnambalam was a prominent defence lawyer. He represented clients in many human rights cases. The ICJ is concerned that he was assassinated because of his effective defence of his clients.
Mr. Ponnambalam also spoke out his mind on various issues. The views he expressed did not always please the government. In fact, the ICJ’s Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers intervened in December 1998, on behalf of Mr. Ponnambalam when arrest threats were made against him following a television interview he gave on 17 November 1998.
The ICJ urged the Attorney-General of Sri Lanka to institute a thorough inquiry into the murder of Mr. Ponnambalam and to take effective and appropriate measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Please join the ICJ in its intervention and write to:
The Hon. Attorney-General
Chambers of the Attorney-General
Hultsdorf
Colombo 12
Sri Lanka
Fax n° : (+941)43-64-21
