Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said Tamil political prisoners who have committed “minor offenses” will be released before November 7th in a phone call to Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan.
Speaking to BBC Sandeshya, Mr Sampanthan said the Sri Lankan president had called and made the pledge after meeting with Sri Lanka’s justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.
The minister had earlier said “there are no political prisoners in the country’s prisons”.
His comments come as over 200 Tamil detainees enter a sixth day of hunger strikes across the island, calling for their immediate release from prison. Protests have taken place across the North-East supporting the prisoners’ demands.
See our earlier posts:
Day 5 of hunger strikes in Jaffna calling for the release of Tamil political detainees (16 Oct 2015)
Protestors in Vavuniya join calls for release of Tamil political prisoners (16 Oct 2015)
Jaffna Uni students join calls for release of Tamil political detainees (16 Oct 2015)
Speaking to BBC Sandeshya, Mr Sampanthan said the Sri Lankan president had called and made the pledge after meeting with Sri Lanka’s justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.
The minister had earlier said “there are no political prisoners in the country’s prisons”.
His comments come as over 200 Tamil detainees enter a sixth day of hunger strikes across the island, calling for their immediate release from prison. Protests have taken place across the North-East supporting the prisoners’ demands.
See our earlier posts:
Day 5 of hunger strikes in Jaffna calling for the release of Tamil political detainees (16 Oct 2015)
Protestors in Vavuniya join calls for release of Tamil political prisoners (16 Oct 2015)
Jaffna Uni students join calls for release of Tamil political detainees (16 Oct 2015)
Protestors in Jaffna call for the release of political prisoners (15 Oct 2015)
Tamil Civil Society Forum extends support to hunger-striking Tamil Political prisoners (15 Oct 2015)
Sri Lankan president will decide on political prisoners after report is compiled and submitted(15 Oct 2015)
‘There are no political prisoners’ says Sri Lanka’s justice minister (15 Oct 2015)
TNA MP pledges to join hunger strike if Sri Lankan government does not release Tamil political prisoners (15 Oct 2015)
Fast in support of Tamil political prisoners as hunger strike enters second day (14 Oct 2015)
Wigneswaran urges president to ensure fasting Tamil detainees are not harmed (12 October 2015)