The Department of Prisons states that 244 prisoners will receive state pardons on the occasion of the Vesak festival. These prisoners are entitled to a state pardon in accordance with the powers vested in the President by Article 34 of the Constitution.
State pardoned prisoners have been selected to represent every prison islandwide. It has also been decided to halve the sentence of prisoners over 65 years of age and abolish the remainder of the sentence of more than half.
By 15.05.2022, who has been sentenced to 40 years or more, the remainder of the sentence of 20 years from the date of sentencing by the High Court will be abolished.
A group of artists and others staged a protest in front of the Welikada Prison yesterday demanding the release of Ranjan Ramanayake, a former parliamentarian who is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court. However, it is reported that the former MP is not among the persons released today under the state pardon.
