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| Tuesday, 4 May 2004 |
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Over 1,500 prisoners who had been imprisoned for minor offences and 269 youth who had been arrested and imprisoned for attempting to leave the country illegally by sea on 25th December 2003 will be freed today at 10 a.m. at the Welikada Prison on a general amnesty granted by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The Deputy Minister of Public Security, Law and Order Jayaratne Herath, Secretary Tilak Ranaviraja, and senior officials will be present at a simple religious ceremony with Dhamma sermons to be held at 10 a.m. today at the Welikada Prison premises to mark their release. The amnesty has been granted by the President on a memorandum submitted by the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Law and Order Tilak Ranaviraja based on three categories of prisoners who come within the purview of granting such remissions. In addition Mr. Ranaviraja made a separate recommendation proposing a general pardon be granted to the 269 youth who had been detected by the Navy on 25th December 2003 for attempting to leave the country illegally off Iranawila in the Puttalam District. These youth who had been on remand since December 25th last year were sentenced to a year's imprisonment in April this year on their pleading guilty to the charges. Since then the parents and next of kin of these youth had been appealing that they be granted a pardon as they had been victims of circumstance. |
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