Sri Lanka to release jailed ex-Army Commander

Jailed former Army Commander of Sri Lanka Sarath Fonseka will be released soon, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said. "We will release him soon," President Rajapaksa has told an Indian daily The Hindu on the sidelines of a function organized to launch a book on the Sri Lankan conflict.
The President has said that the person who mediated the release is currently on a overseas visit and the release will happen as soon as he returns to the country. President Rajapaksa was referring to the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) MP Tiran Alles who had one-on-one talks with the President to secure the release of ailing Fonseka. The former Army Commander who is serving a three-year prison sentence is currently receiving treatment for a lung ailment at the Nawaloka Hospital. Earlier government stated that a formal request from Fonseka's family would be necessary to pardon him but no such appeal was made. Meanwhile, the Colombo High Court on Monday postponed till June 7 a case filed by the Attorney-General against Fonseka for harboring Army deserters during the presidential election in 2010.