An eyewitness to the alleged assault on inmates at Colombo Magazine Prison on the night of 6 August 2026 gave a detailed account of the incident during a press briefing held at the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) office on 13 August 2026.
Navod Dilshan, who was detained at Magazine Prison at the time of the incident and has since been granted bail, described what he said he witnessed inside the prison’s E Ward. According to Dilshan, an argument broke out between inmates and prison officers earlier that night (6th Aug). He alleged that at around 10.00 p.m., a large group of prison officers entered E Ward, forcibly broke open the locked cell doors, called out sevaral inmates by names from their cells, and severely assaulted them. He stated that the officers were armed with iron bars, sticks, and other objects.
Dilshan said that he and another inmate, Mohammed Asman Sherifdeen, who was detained in the same cell, were called and taken out of the cell, and beaten. He further alleged that prison officers verbally threatened him, decesed Asman Sherifdeen and some others, saying they would kill them. According to his account, they, along with several other inmates, were then taken to the prison’s main gate, where the assault allegedly continued before they were transported by van to the prison hospital.
The witness stated that, fearing for his life, he smeared himself with the blood of other injured inmates and pretended that he had already been fatally assaulted. He believes this prevented further attacks against him.
Dilshan further alleged that the assaults continued inside the prison hospital. He stated that he saw Mohammed Asman Sherifdeen lying on the floor with severe injuries and receiving no meaningful medical treatment. According to Dilshan, during the early hours of the following morning, Sherifdeen cried out in pain and repeatedly asked for water, but no adequate medical care was provided before his death.
During the press briefing, Dilshan alleged that the assault involved the Chief Jailor of Magazine Prison, identified as Buddika, and prison officers identified as Isuru, Salgadu, and Ranasinghe, along with several other prison officers.
The allegations add to ongoing calls by human rights organisations for an independent investigation into the death of Mohammed Asman Sherifdeen and the reported violence at Magazine Prison.
