A recently released affidavit from a Tamil man who was deported from Canada to Sri Lanka, reveals he faced brutal torture for almost a year, whilst being held in detention by Sri Lanka.
Sathyapavan "Sathi" Aseervatham claimed he was held without charge for almost a year and faced regular torture after being deported from Canada in July 2011.
The affidavit was released by his lawyer, Gabriel Chand after Aseervatham passed away in a car accident two weeks ago. It wasn’t released while his client was alive as Chand claimed it would put his client at risk.
Aseervatham had said,
“My body was thirsty for water and when I asked for water they beat me... They blindfolded my eyes and I was locked in a small cage with my hands tied up behind my back and no clothes for many days. I could not count the days because it was dark and cold and I was fully naked.”
He had no access to a lawyer or to his family, not even making it out of Colombo airport upon his deportation. After several months the Red Cross visited him in the Sri Lankan prison.
“I was truly happy to see them as the grace of Gods will... When Red Cross comes to visit then after I was given better rations of food and water and I saw a doctor for the pains I had. I stayed in jail for over one year.
“Then in jail my parents came but I could not speak too many truths because army very close. But they see my beaten face and see I am skinny from less food. I cry every time I see them.”
Aseervatham’s family paid a bribe of $40,000 to secure his release.
Read the full report from CTV news here.