Sri Lanka sentences death penalty for drug criminals

Colombo, July 12: Welcoming a capital punishment for drug-related crimes, Sri Lanka paved way for the resumption of the death penalty after nearly 40 years.

Minister of the Buddhist Order Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, said that President Maithripala Sirisena had recently stated that he was under pressure to re-introduce capital punishment as a deterrent to serious crimes. "The Cabinet in unison agreed to it. We cannot allow inmates in prison to destroy the country by directing crimes," Perera said yesterday, adding convicts carry out drug trade while still in prison.

Although capital punishment is in the statute, Sri Lanka had stopped hangings since 1976. Death row prisoners spend life terms in jail.

Executions have not been carried out in Sri Lanka as successive presidents in office since 1978 have refused to issue death warrants.