The Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the outline of the case of Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena, a Member of Parliament of Sri Lanka, as contained in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/170/13.c(ii)-R.1) and to the relevant resolution adopted at its 169th session (September 2001),

Recalling that the complaint, submitted at a time when Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena, a former medical officer, was an incumbent opposition member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, related to two – reportedly fabricated – cases brought against him under the Public Property Act; in August 2000 he was acquitted in the first case and, in February 2001, the Attorney General withdrew the charges in the second case,

Recalling also that some material on file, specifically accusations of then prohibited contacts with the Liberation Tigers of Tamal Eelam (LTTE) levelled by the highest State officials against him, suggested that Dr. Jayawaderna's prosecution might indeed have been politically motivated; Dr. Jayawaderna said that, as a consequence of such accusations singling him out as a target, he had received death threats; however, his personal and Parliament's request for special protection were reportedly ignored by the Minister of the Defence, and the police apparently took no action on his complaint regarding the threats,

Considering that Dr. Jayawardena was re-elected in December 2001 and was appointed Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees; considering also that the present Government has recently concluded a ceasefire with the LTTE,

1. Considers that the new circumstances obtaining in this case no longer warrant its public examination;
2. Instructs the Committee to continue, if appropriate, examining this case under its confidential procedure.

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