A Sri Lankan minister said 'LTTE suspects' held on remand should be released, while speaking at the opening of a prison in Jaffna.
Law and Order and Prison Reforms Minister Tilak Marapana said he hoped that the LTTE detainees could be released before the Deepavali festival on November 10, 2015.
“The LTTE suspects on remand without charges being filed against them should be released. If they are considered a threat to law and order, they should be ordered to report to the police in the respective areas at regular intervals,
"The suspects in cases that have been pending for years could be released on bail. President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have instructed the Attorney General’s Department to take a decision in this regard soon,"
The minister said most of the country's 18,000 prisoners should not be detained.
"Police take a long time to complete investigations and to file action against suspects and that cases drag on for more than ten years. This has created hardship to the suspects, their relatives, and even the judges and the lawyers.
"This situation demands immediate replacement of the prevailing legal system. I am planning to reduce the number of detainees by at least 25 per cent," the minister said.