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Supreme Court issues interim order against death penalty
05 Jul, 2019
The Supreme Court today issued an interim order against the implementation of the death penalty.
The Supreme Court ordered that the death penalty not be carried out till October 30.
The order was given after a Fundamental Rights petition was filed in the Supreme Court against moves by President Maithripala Sirisena to execute four convicts on drug related charges.
President Maithripala Sirisena said recently he has ordered the execution of four convicts on death row over drug related offences, claiming it would end increasing addiction problems in the country.
While the President had confirmed signing the death warrants, no names have been revealed and no details have been shared about any scheduled executions or information on the cases.
Amnesty International said recently that the lack of transparency makes it impossible to ascertain whether these prisoners have exhausted clemency appeals or if all safeguards were followed in their conviction or sentencing. There is also no confirmation that the four prisoners, or their families, have been alerted to their imminent execution.
The executions, if carried out, would be the first time Sri Lanka has implemented the death penalty since 1976. (Colombo Gazette)
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