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back to Sri Lanka and his fears did not materialize. Mendis claimed his case had received so much publicity that the Sri Lankan government did not dare to harm him. Eight
British activists accompanied him to Sri Lanka to offer protection. He was later granted asylum in Germany and became chairperson
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In 2018 Mendis' organisation concluded a successful campaign to defend 13 activists, 12 of them Tamil, against charges of "fraud, false documentation, money laundering and extortion". In June of that year, the 13 were found not guilty by the Swiss
Federal Criminal Court. The Sri Lankan Government
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While in Sri Lanka, Mendis married his partner Karen
Roberts, and was able to return to the UK several times. However, in 2010 he was refused permission to enter for the funeral service of John Methuen.
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and claimed danger of death if he was sent back to Sri Lanka. Following a march to protest against his deportation on 20 December 1986 he ran into the Church of the
Ascension and claimed the
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71:. The church became the focus of the "Viraj Mendis Defence Campaign" against his deportation. In late 1988 his supporters were invited to address an assembly at
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where pupils were encouraged to enlist the help of parents to his cause. One parent took exception to this and contacted the
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336:"Viraj Mendis: A beacon of international solidarity and a pillar in the Eelam-Tamil liberation struggle"
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313:"Former asylum seeker who took refuge in Manchester church for two years dies"
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67:. He stayed in the church for the next two years with the help of the rector
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290:"Swiss legal debacle "triggered Sri Lanka's latest terrorists list""
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244:"Viraj Mendis banned from funeral of priest who sheltered him"
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This biographical article about a Sri Lankan activist is a
111:) and worked defending refugees facing deportation, and on
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but overstayed his visa. He was an active supporter of the
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152:. House of Commons. 18 January 1989. col. 334–347.
99:of the International Human Rights Association in
126:He died in a German hospital on 16 August 2024.
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109:Internationaler Menschenrechtsverein Bremen
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214:"Germany takes over EU, trouble for Lanka"
81:, and the story was then picked up on by
123:subsequently listed him as a terrorist.
422:People deported from the United Kingdom
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334:Jayapalan, Athithan (18 August 2024).
294:Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka
176:from the original on 24 December 2023.
432:Right of asylum in the United Kingdom
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226:from the original on 15 January 2007.
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346:from the original on 22 August 2024.
323:from the original on 22 August 2024.
278:from the original on 3 October 2021.
212:Jafferjee, Azra (31 December 2006).
300:from the original on 2 August 2019.
256:from the original on 20 April 2013.
187:Shifrin, Tash (21 September 2004).
370:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
164:"Exile returns to his 'sanctuary'"
51:in October 1973 on a twelve-month
32:at the Church of the Ascension in
28:national who claimed the right of
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201:from the original on 5 July 2024.
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311:Timan, Joseph (21 August 2024).
447:Sri Lankan emigrants to Germany
242:Thompson, Dan (2 August 2010).
149:Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
189:"Mendis returns to Manchester"
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268:"Viraj returns to his refuge"
61:Revolutionary Communist Group
24:(died 16 August 2024) was a
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47:Mendis had arrived in the
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317:Manchester Evening News
272:Manchester Evening News
249:Manchester Evening News
78:Manchester Evening News
172:. 14 September 2004.
452:Asian activist stubs
442:Sri Lankan activists
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59:and, in the UK, the
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84:The Daily Telegraph
73:Burnage High School
16:Sri Lankan national
65:right of sanctuary
44:during the 1980s.
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144:"Mr Viraj Mendis"
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417:2024 deaths
411:Categories
130:References
38:Manchester
26:Sri Lankan
30:sanctuary
344:Archived
340:TamilNet
321:Archived
298:Archived
276:Archived
254:Archived
224:Archived
199:Archived
174:Archived
169:BBC News
96:deported
94:He was
42:England
105:German
101:Bremen
34:Hulme
368:stub
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.