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Political detainee transferred from Vavuniya prison dies

A Tamil political detainee transferred to the Mahara prison after being attacked in Vavuniya has died this morning, reported Pathivu.

The 29-year-old, who died after medical treatment at the Ragama Hospital had proved unsuccessful, has been identified as Nimalaruban from Nelukulam, Vavuniya.

Nimalaruban was one of more than fifteen political prisoners to sustain heavy injuries after being attacked by officials last week at Vavuniya prison.

“The government should take full responsibility for the death of Nimalaruban and the brutal attack on these prisoners,” Mano Ganeshan, Convener of the Civil Monitoring Committee, told reporters at a joint press conference in Colombo.

“Of the 31 Tamil prisoners who were transferred to the Anuradhapura prisons from Vavuniya after the rescue operation on Saturday, one is still undergoing treatments at the Anuradhapura hospital with very serious injuries.

"The remaining 29 prisoners have also been brutally attacked at Anuradhapura prison before being transferred to Mahara Prison. Some of them are admitted to the Ragama teaching hospital with serious injuries including broken jaws and limbs,” he has said.

“This is not just a death, but an extension of the ongoing campaign of Tamil genocide,” Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Suresh K. Premachandran said at the press conference.

Transferred Tamil political prisoners attacked in Anuradhapura (01 Jul 2012)

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