Multi-stakeholder talks underwayPrisons Dept., Justice Ministry involvedDeath row inmates commence agitationBy Yoshitha PereraDiscussions are presently underway between the Prisons Department, the Justice Ministry, and other relevant stakeholders with regard to the commutation of the sentence given to death row prisoners to a term of life imprisonment, The Sunday Morning learnt. Prisons Department Media Spokesman and Prisons Commissioner Chandana Ekanayake informed The Sunday Morning that all death row inmates are requesting that their death sentence be commuted to life in prison. “There are a total of 509 death row inmates in Sri Lanka and most of them have requested that their death sentence be commuted to a term of life in prison, with effect from the day that they were sentenced,” Ekanayake noted. The Prisons Department has had several discussions with the Justice Ministry and other relevant authorities with regard to the matter. According to a statement released by the Prisons Department, the 16 ex-LTTE cadres were detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No.

Source: The Nation June 26, 2021 15:56 UTC