Committee appointed to recommend proposals on Sri Lanka death row convicts

Sri Lanka's Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara has appointed a three-member committee to recommend the commuting the sentences of 400 death row convicts to life sentences.

The committee has also been asked to examine who of the 400 convicts on death row should be pardoned and released.
The Committee is headed by retired High Court Judge Hector Yapa and it has been asked to submit its report at the earliest, after examining the possibilities of granting a pardon to most of the convicts who have served many years in prison.

Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister has been quoted in the local media saying that once he receives the recommendations, and after consulting with the President, he would submit a Cabinet paper to implement the recommendations.

The Minister expects the release of the prisoners to help ease congestion within the prisons.

Meanwhile, the local media has also reported that another 10-member committee has been appointed to expedite cases of over 600 persons who are held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and emergency regulations.