The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of Mr. Nadarajah Raviraj, a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka who was assassinated on 10 November 2006, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/188/13(b)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 187th session (October 2010); referring also to the report on the on-site mission to Sri Lanka carried out by the Committee in February 2008 (CL/183/12(b)-R.2),

Taking into account the information which Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Special Envoy of the President of Sri Lanka for Human Rights, provided to the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians at the hearing held during the 124th IPU Assembly,

Recalling that Mr. Raviraj, a member of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), was shot dead in Colombo in the morning of 10 November 2006 along with his security officer while travelling in his vehicle along a main road in Colombo; the gunman escaped on a motorcycle,

Recalling the following information provided in the past by the authorities, who have repeatedly stated their commitment to fully elucidating this crime, about the murder investigation:

• Investigations revealed that the motorcycle was sold by two brokers named Nalaka Matagaweere and Ravindra to Arul, who at the time was living at the house of S.K.T. Jayasuriya; the latter was taken into custody together with Nalaka; Jayasuriya revealed that Arul was a former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) member; Nalaka and Jayasuriya were later released on bail as inquiries revealed that they were not in Colombo when Mr. Raviraj was shot dead; arrest warrants were issued for Arul and Ravindra, who, according to the police progress report forwarded in April 2009, were strongly suspected of having gone to the areas then controlled by the LTTE;

• A Scotland Yard team arrived in Sri Lanka on 4 January 2007; it conducted investigations and recommended that further tests be carried out; the team commended the Sri Lankan investigators for their work; according to the police report of March 2010, no real breakthrough was possible, investigations were continuing, and the case was regularly reported to the Chief Magistrate Court Colombo,

1. Thanks the authorities and, in particular, Minister Samarasinghe for the consistent cooperation extended to the Committee and for the information provided;

2. Acknowledges the efforts made by the investigatory authorities to locate the two suspects, as reported by Minister Samarasinghe; regrets nevertheless that those efforts have so far remained unavailing;

3. Observes thatthe stated commitment of the authorities to advancing the course of justice must be matched by firm action on the ground, and trusts that the investigation is indeed being pursued with the necessary vigour;

4. Recalls that Parliament, in the exercise of its oversight function, is entitled to follow an investigation, especially when it concerns a member of parliament; wishes therefore to ascertain the views of Parliament on taking such an initiative;

5. Requests the Secretary General to convey this resolution to all parties concerned;

6. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 125th IPU Assembly (October 2011).

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