Two prisoners who had been serving life sentences for LTTE activities were granted Presidential Pardons on Sunday (Jan 14), it was reported.
According to the Sunday Times, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had granted Presidential Pardons to Nagalingam Madansekar and Selvathurai Kirubakaran.
Madansekar and Kirubakaran had been convicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations.
After being indicted in the Colombo High Court, Madansekar was convicted of charges filed under the Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions and Powers) Regulations on March 29, 2023 and sentenced to life in prison.
Kirubakaran had been found guilty of charges filed under the PTA and even though he had filed an appeal against his conviction, on July 20, 2022, the Court of Appeal affirmed the ruling given by the Colombo High Court.
However, they have been granted Presidential Pardons by the President under powers vested with him under Article 34(1) of the Constitution.
The Presidential Pardons were initiated following Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse’s recommendation, backed by a Prison Department report that said the duo had displayed good behaviour. (NewsWire)