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RSF commends progress in Nimalarajan murder probe

The Government has assured two leading media groups that it is committed to investigate the murder of Jaffna-based journalist Mayilvaganam Nimalarajan and bring the perpetrators to justice.

This assurance has been given to a fact-finding mission from the Damocles Network and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) by Interior Minister John Amaratunga and Attorney General K. C. Kamalasabeyson, an RSF news release said.

The fact-finding mission which comprised Belgian lawyer Luc Walleyn (Damocles) and Vincent Brossel (RSF) visited Colombo and Jaffna from June 18 to 22 to investigate progress in the Nimalarajan case.

"The mission has been assured by the highest authorities in Sri Lanka that they are committed to complete the investigations. Within the space of a few days, two people who may have been involved in the murder were questioned and detained by investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department. Wanted notices have been issued for other suspects, some of whom - according to people interviewed by the fact-finding mission - may have left the country," the RSF said.

The mission noted that police investigations had been held up for more than ten months following political pressure. In spite of repeated requests from the magistrate in Jaffna, police appear to have made no efforts to conduct a serious investigation until the beginning of 2002.

"Within a few days, the Damocles Network will be sending recommendations to the appropriate Sri Lankan authorities to ensure that the crime committed against the freelance journalist and BBC stringer Nimalarajan, does not remain unpunished," the release added.

The Damocles Network, an international, European Commission-funded project to combat impunity in crimes against journalists, is closely monitoring progress in the investigation along with the RSF, a Paris-based journalists' rights group. They envisage returning to Sri Lanka and taking part in the legal proceedings in this affair.

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