Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

British Tamil man tortured in Sri Lanka returns to UK

A British Tamil man who said he was detained by Sri Lankan authorities and tortured after travelling to the country last month to get married, returned to the UK earier this week, The Guardian reported.

"I was arrested at my mother’s house and put inside a van where the men who arrested me started punching and beating me. I was taken to an empty house somewhere in Jaffna that I believe is used for torture. There was dried blood on the walls. I was beaten with wooden sticks and a metal bar on my head and face and leg and I lost consciousness," the 36 year old  Velauthapillai Renukaruban told newspaper.

The men accused him of involvement in the LTTE.

“I kept telling them that I had lived in the UK for many years and have nothing to do with LTTE. But they didn’t listen. I thought I was going to die," he said.

Mr Renukaruban who left Sri Lanka on July 3rd, was seen at Ealing hospital on arrival for his injuries.

The Guardian reported medical records state Mr Renukaruban suffered “assault in custody, multiple lacerations and haemorrhagic contusions."

“When I went to Sri Lanka to get married I thought this was the beginning of new happiness for me,” Mr Renukaruban told the newspaper.

“Instead terrible things happened and I was frightened and sad on my wedding day. I had to leave quickly before we could get a visa for my wife. She is now in hiding in Sri Lanka and I hope I can bring her here soon. I will never return to Sri Lanka again.”

See more here.

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.