Lanka prez commutes death sentence of 60 prisoners

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has commuted the death sentences of 60 prisoners to life imprisonement on the 69th Independence Day of the country which was celebrated today.
Sirisena has taken the decision to spare the lives of the prisoners based on the recommendations made by a Committee appointed by the Ministry of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakse and headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Nimal Dissanayake, the Colombo Page reported.
The Committee was appointed to review and report whether the death sentences on death row prisoners should be commuted to life imprisonment.
Accordingly, it has recommended commuting the sentences of 60 prisoners to life imprisonment effective from February 4, the report said.

The death row convicts will be considered for parole only after they served a minimum sentence of 20 years and their pleas for any relief will be referred to the parole board once in four years after that.
Although Sri Lankan courts give death penalty in serious crimes such as murder, rape and drug trafficking, no executions have been carried out since 1976.
All death penalty cases have been commuted to life in prison.