Sri Lanka: No Charges for Tamil Leader
The leader of Sri Lanka's defeated Tamil Tiger rebels, who is wanted by India on suspicion of helping plan the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991, will not face criminal charges, Sri Lankan authorities said Wednesday. The leader, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, will be allowed to continue his work running a nongovernmental development organization in the north of Sri Lanka, they said, despite being on Interpol's wanted list. Lakshman Hulugalle, head of the Defense Ministry's media center, said, “It's a victory for us, because a Tamil leader who fought against the government is now working for the country's development.†Neither official gave any details on why Sri Lanka was apparently ignoring Interpol's arrest warrant, which was instigated by India.
A version of this brief appeared in print on October 18, 2012, on page A8 of the New York edition with the headline: Sri Lanka: No Charges for Tamil Leader.
