UN urged to ensure accountability for Sarabjit’s murder
UN urged to ensure accountability for Sarabjit’s murder
New Delhi: Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) in a communication today urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Navi Pillay, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Prof. Juan Mandez and UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions, Prof Christop Heyns to intervene with the Government of Pakistan to ensure a credible inquiry for establishing justice into the murder of Indian prisoner, Mr Sarabjit Singh in the custody of the Government of Pakistan.
On 26 April 2013, Mr Sarabjit Singh was allegedly attacked by the fellow prisoners at the Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore, one of the most high security prisons of Pakistan. He received serious injuries and never gained consciousness. He was declared dead in the early hours of today i.e. 02 May 2013.
Mr Sarabjit Singh, convicted of alleged involvement in a string of bomb attacks in Punjab province that killed 14 people in 1990, was given death sentence and had spent about 22 years in Pakistani prisons.
"Since Mr Sarabjit Singh was in the custody of the Government of Pakistan, the responsibility to ensure his personal safety and security irrespective of his status as a convict was with the Government of Pakistan. The murderous assault on Mr Singh in one of the most high security prisons could not have taken place without complicity of the prison officials with implicit instructions from the higher authorities. The murderous assault is widely believed to have been committed in retaliation against the hanging of Afzal Guru by India on 9 February 2013. The execution of Mr Singh by other extrajudicial means calls for credible probe for accountability and justice." - stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights.
