Sri Lanka: Pattani Razeek, Fifth

Anniversary of Abduction and

Murder

by Kingsley Karunaratne
( February 26, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Asian Human Rights Commission and Asian
Forum for Human Rights and Development, from year to year from 2010,expressed their shock and deep
frustration over the long delay of investigation and seeking justice into abduction and murder of human

Rights Defender, Pattani Razeek of Sri Lanka. He was remembered much due to his tremendous services
rendered to the fellow citizens during the Tsunami debacle that hit Sri Lanka in 2004, especially in
Trincomalee and Amparai areas. In 1990 when the Muslim people were evicted from Jaffna, Mannar and
Mulltivu during the civil war, he was there to help these IDPs and made them resettled in Puttalam.
Pattani Razeek went missing on 11th of February in 2010 near a mosque in Polonuwara. His family received
several calls from his mobile phone, demanding money in exchange for his release. Then the calls stopped.
Pattani was the Managing Trustee of the Community Trust Fund (CTF) and an Executive Committee
Member of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development at the time of abduction.
For his son Razeek Rizkhan Mohamed, the ensuing years have been a tedious process of waiting and
suffering.
It was quickly established that Pattani, a Human Rights Defender and civil organizer, was abducted and
later murdered. Police in Valachchenai in Eastern Province discovered his body and exhumed it on 28th of
July 2011. But the investigation has made little progress since.

After five years of waiting we still have not obtained justice for my father, Mohamed said.
He added that on February 11th this year, Today is the anniversary of my fathers disappearance and the
next hearing of my fathers case (case no.92264, Polonnaruwa) was fixed for 25th Feb.2015.

The key suspect, Nowshad has been released on bail, Police made him a crown witness and we have lost all
hope of justice, he said.
The family, as well as former colleagues and fellow activists, have complained of long delays in the courts,
impunity, police inaction in the investigation and the release of key suspects in the case, including
Shahabdeen Nowshad, who police had initially linked to Razeek through the ransom phone calls to the
family.
The Post Mortem report seems to indicate that the delay in exhumation of the body has made it impossible
to determine the exact cause of death.
Though only one suspect called,Mushdeenis named as an accused and he too had been released on bail on
2nd March 2012,Rizkhan family is in the opinion that police should commit to address the prevailing
impunity on investigation of this case due to following reasons.
a) Key suspect, Shahabdeen Nowshad was released on bail on 4th Nov.2011 and made a witness by the
Attorney General on April 2012 however he admitted that he and several others met with the victim in
Polonnaruwa on the day of his disappearance when travelling in a vehicle belonging to the Resettlement
Ministry, then headed by a Muslim Minister at the time. Also police had revealed that the phone which was
used to make ransom calls belongs to Nowshad and that Razeeks mobile sim had been utilized to make

ransom calls. It was established that there were several calls to the family demanding of Rs. 20 Million for
Razeeks release. Nowshad had been a close associate to a powerful minister in the previous regime that
holds a prominent ministerial post currently. He was the president of the Citizens Committee, an initiative
of CTF and therefore he had many contacts with the victim Pattani. Rizkhan family firmly believes that
there had been a dispute between Razeek and Nowshad on an alleged transfer of CTF assets to one
Nihumath (the former Trustee General of CTF).
b) Police had also identified another suspect, Mohamed Shammi, the driver of the van which has been
suspected as having been used for the disappearance of Mr. Razeek. This person had run away to overseas
and there had been no credible effort to take him to custody and question him. According to family circles,
police only interfered to obtain a court order to arrest him once he arrives from overseas.
c) Police had not interrogated Mr. Irshard, the then Parliamentary Secretary to the powerful Muslim
Minister, who stated publicly, in October 2010, that Mr. Razeek was held by the Defense Ministry which
was not true.
d) Police do not appear to have question or produced in the courts, the persons traveling in the vehicle with
suspect Mushdeen, in which Mr. Razeek was abducted.
e) The ransom callers demanded Rizkhan family to provide details of CTF assets and that the trustees
transfer any properties held in their name to the Nujoom Trust a trust set up by Mr. Nihamath (the former
Trustee General of CTF) in 2009.Upto now the family do not know whether there had been a credible
investigation regarding this person.
f) Rizkhan family firmly believe that Mushdeen only a contract killer hired by Nowshad or Nihamath who
were connected to CTF.
g)The weakness of police handling and filing the case (case No.B/651/2011)was highlighted by the judge on
6th August 2012 and subsequently the statements from Razeeks son, Razeeks wife and employees of CTF
were recorded by C.C.D.which resulted in long delays of the trial. This case was later combined to above
M/C 92264 Polonnaruwa.
Even the eight-member commission of inquiry(Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission) appointed
by President Mahinda Rajapaksa following the end of the civil war concluded in its report that police had
failed in their handling of the case. More than 3 years ago, in November 2011, the final report of the
Presidential Commission of Inquiry, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), dedicated
several paragraphs to comment on the case of Pattani Razeek. Its comments on page 162 are under
mentioned.
(Paragraph) 5.31 Among the many disturbing allegations concerning missing persons submitted to the
Commission by the general public, especially during its visits to conflict-affected areas, the case of Mr.
Razik Pattani in Puttalam, is referred to here on account of the Commissions own disappointing experience
concerning that case. It highlights the deplorable absence of conclusive law enforcement action, despite the

Commission itself bringing this case to the attention of the concerned authorities of the area. Mr. Razeeks
body was reportedly discovered while the Commission was writing its report. Timely action could probably
have saved this life.
(Paragraph) 5. 32 Mr. Razik who had been an official of an NGO providing assistance to the IDPs in
Puttalam was abducted allegedly due to the fact that he had questioned the manner in which some of the
expenditures have been incurred by the NGO as well as the purchase of some properties under the names of
some of its directors. When inquires were made from the relevant Deputy Inspector-General of Police in the
area as to why there was a delay in arresting the alleged abductor following a court order, he has reportedly
said that the Police was not aware of the suspects whereabouts and if the people know where he was, let the
police know so that they could arrest him. It was alleged in this regard that the suspect evaded arrest due to
his political connections. If this is established, it must be mentioned that such an attitude would
completely erode the public confidence, in particular in the Police, and make the maintenance of law and
order much more difficult. The Commission is equally concerned that undue political interference has also
contributed to the lapses on the part of the Police.
Now the past regimes had gone and at least now with the good governance of present government in
place, let us pray for justice for Pattani Razeek without any undue political interference as suggested in
LLRC recommendations on page 162 in their report.
Honorable Minister of Law and Order, Mr. John Amaratunga and Hon. Minister of Justice, Mr. Wijedasa
Rajapaksa this is over to you for your immediate attention and action please.
(On behalf of Razeeks family, his son, Razeek Rizkhan Mohamed provided the data and other related
information)
Posted by Thavam