Issei Piriya’ was engaged in a hostile operation against the Sri Lanka Security Forces when she met her end. The Sri Lanka High Commission told Channel 4 News: “The High Commission of Sri Lanka wishes to reiterate that ‘Lt. The list says she was killed, along with 31 other LTTE leaders, on by 53 Division troops, an “offensive” attack force of the Sri Lanka Army commanded by Major General Kamal Gunaratne. However, it has emerged that the date of her death and the soldiers who killed her are both listed on the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence website, fixing the date of the video more accurately and indicating which troops were active at that time. The identities of the soldiers – who look directly at the camera at times in the video – are also unclear from the video, although the fact that they speak Sinhalese suggests they are government troops rather than Tamil fighters. While Isaipriya’s body is seen in a video which includes footage of executions, it is unclear how she died. She always had either a camera, a pen or a notepad.” “She never carried a gun and her physical condition did not permit her to go to the battlefield. Because of her physical condition, she was deployed to the media unit. “Isaipriya never carried a gun and her physical condition did not permit her to go to the battlefield.” Friend and colleague of Isaipriya She identified that Isaipriya’s body appears in the “war crimes” video, partially covered by a sheet, with cuts to the face. Isaipriya was part of the Tamil Tigers, her former colleague told us. One of the women shown in the video has been identified by a close colleague and friend, speaking to Channel 4 News, as the Tamil journalist, Isaipriya (pictured above).
Read more from war crimes lawyer Julian Knowles on the 'astonishing evidence' of the Sri Lanka videoĬhannel 4 News can now reveal that one of the victims was a high profile member of the Tamil Tigers – but her role was as a journalist rather than a direct fighter as a result of a heart condition. The video was shot towards the end of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, which ended in 2009, between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group, known as the Tamil Tigers. Leading war crimes lawyer Julian Knowles, from Matrix Chambers, told Channel 4 News the video was “astonishing evidence” of a type he had only seen “a handful of times” showing the mass killing of civilians or unarmed combatants, a serious war crime. The video also shows the bodies of other men and women lying on the ground.
The distressing execution video footage, screened by Channel 4 News last week and originating in Sri Lanka, shows a number of incidents of soldiers in uniform shooting in the head people who appear to be unarmed – described as “cold-blooded killing” by an international expert. Shoba – whose nom de guerre was Isaipriya – was aged 27 when she died, and was identified by a friend speaking on condition of anonymity. Warning: this page contains disturbing images.Īfter extensive investigations Channel 4 News can reveal that one of the victims was a high profile member of the Tamil Tigers press and communications wing.