• A number of others including convicted murderers  were pardoned but Ranjan Ramanayake was denied a pardon as he was representing an opposition political party

By Yohan Perera  

Whilst considering that former MP Ranjan Ramanayake is a political prisoner, the Samagi Jana Balwegaya (SJB) is to refer the issue to the UNHRC in Geneva and other local and international human rights agencies, an SJB MP told Daily Mirror yesterday.   

SJB MP Hector Appuhamy told Daily Mirror that his party will discuss how to approach the UNHRC and other agencies shortly. “We are planning this exercise following the request made by Mr. Ramanayake.  Ranjan has requested us to refer his issue to the UNHRC when we visited him at the Angunakolapelessa Prision recently,”  Appuhamy said.  

Ranjan Ramanayake is considering himself as a political prisoner as he is subject to continuous victimization by authorities by denying his pardon. A number of others including those who were convicted of murder were pardoned but Ranjan Ramanayake was denied a pardon as he was representing an opposition political party,” he added.  

Asked about the reports which said the former MP has to tender an apology to judges before seeking a presidential pardon, he said the government must officially explain the procedures to the former MP to go ahead. “No one knows as to what the correct procedure is connected with seeking a pardon when one is penalized for contempt of court,” he said.  

Also the SJB requested that Ramanayake be transferred to a prison in Colombo so that his political colleagues could go and visit him.   

** The government has failed to officially explain the procedure to the former MP to go ahead with tendering an apology to the judges before seeking a presidential pardon . “No one is aware of what the correct procedure is connected with seeking a pardon when one is penalized for contempt of court