The Sri Lankan government says that President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not grant a pardon to the Indian fishermen sentenced to death last month, contrary to an announcement made by a deputy minister on Tuesday.
Speaking to The Hindu, presidential spokesperson Mohan Samaranayake said, “Until now, no decision has been taken to that effect.”
Sources told the Indian daily that Rajapaksa only spoke of possibly commuting the death sentence to life.
Deputy Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Prabha Ganesan told media on Wednesday that the men will be unconditionally released in the next few days, and called on India to withdraw the appeal it had filed earlier that day.
India insisted it would not withdraw its appeal, The Hindu further said.
“The government has been insisting on the immediate and unconditional release of its fishermen who have been sentenced to death by the Sri Lankan court. And any avenue which enables that will be pursued,” government sources said.