Jaffna court denies appeal by person seeking protection to life

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 May 2009, 15:17 GMT]
Jaffna Magistrate Court, directed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA), denied protection to a youth from Chaavakachcheari who had sought Thursday protection to his life due to death threats by SLA soldiers and SLA-backed paramilitaries, according to sources in Jaffna. Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) too had not entertained the appeal for protection to his life by the above youth Thursday, the sources added.

Earlier, following a meeting between Jaffna district high court judge Mr. R. T. Vignarajah and SLA Jaffna commander, persons seeking protection to their lives were asked to do so in their local magistrate courts instead of Jaffna HRC.

HRC Jaffna office had been directed by HRC Colombo office not to entertain appeals for protection of life.

Meanwhile, SLA authorities in Jaffna have given 48 hours from Thursday morning to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres who had come from Vanni and staying in places other than the SLA detention camps in Jaffna, to surrender themselves.

Though similar warnings had been issued in the recent past no one had surrendered to the SLA.