Sri Lanka: Supreme Court blocks Sirisena's bid to resume hangings

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court extended a stay order on President Maithripala Sirisena’s bid to resume executions for the first time since 1976. The top court blocked Sirisena’s plan by issuing a stay order until the hearing of 15 petitions filed against the plan. In June 2019, Sri Lankan authorities published an advertisement to recruit an executioner after Sirisena signed death warrants of four prisoners convicted of drug trafficking.

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Sirisena wanted them executed during his term

On June 26, Sirisena said he expected the prisoners to be hanged before he relinquishes his office in November. Sirisena argued in favour of execution saying there were 200,000 drug addicts and 60% of the prison population were drug offenders. The death warrant will be valid even after he leaves the office but the incoming president will have the power to withdraw such warrants. Gotabhaya Rajapakse is considered as the strongest candidate for the upcoming presidential elections but he has also remained silent over the issue.

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Criticised by Human Rights bodies

Sirisena’s bid to resume executions has been strongly criticised by international human rights organisations.

“Sri Lanka’s President, Maithripala Sirisena, must immediately halt his plans to resume executions for at least 13 prisoners convicted of drug-related crimes”, said Amnesty International.

According to media reports, the plan to execute death row prisoners was a part of the National Drug Eradication Week, from June 21 – July 1, 2019.

“We are dismayed by these reports that will see Sri Lanka surrender its positive record on the death penalty. Executions will not rid Sri Lanka of drug-related crime. They represent the failure to build a humane society where the protection of life is valued. The last thing that Sri Lanka needs right now is more death in the name of vengeance,” said Biraj Patnaik, South Asia Director at Amnesty International.

Amnesty International argues that the death penalty has failed to act as a unique deterrent to crime in other countries and it could claim the lives of people who may have been convicted through unfair trials.

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