Aged death row prisoners considered for release

The President has instructed the Department of Prisons to explore the possibility of releasing senior citizens, who are on death row.

Accordingly, all detainees, aged over 60 years, who have spent more than 10 years in prison after being sentenced to death, will be considered for release.

Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms, Chandrasiri Gajadheera and Commissioner General of Prisons, Chandraratne Pallegama, have been instructed by the President to process documents in order to release old inmates, who have spent more than 10 years in prison after being sentenced to death, which is generally commuted into a life sentence.

“The required documents are being processed at present in this regard,” Welikada Prison Superintendant, SP Gamini Jayasinghe, said. 50 aged feeble detainees are currently detained at the Welikada Prison.

Given their fragile status several other detainees have been deployed to look after these aged detainees,” SP Jayasinghe said.

(Ceylon Today)