Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the early release of over 1,000 convicts to commemorate the island’s largest Buddhist festival, the prisons head said on Saturday.
According to Commissioner-General Thushara Upuldeniya, the Vesak Day pardons only extended to those convicted of minor offenses.”We released these inmates from 28 prisons across the country,” Upuldeniya said of the Friday evening releases. “There were 982 men and six women who were able to walk free.”
For the first time in five years, the cash-strapped South Asian nation is having official Vesak celebrations.
Islamic extremists carried out Easter Sunday suicide attacks against churches and hotels in Colombo, killing 279 people.
The Covid-19 outbreak and last year’s economic crisis, the worst since Britain’s independence in 1948, then halted official celebrations.
Sri Lanka has declared a week of celebrations to commemorate Vesak, which fell on Friday, the first full moon of May, and banned the sale of alcohol during the weekend.
Disclaimer
The provided information is intended for general awareness and may not be entirely accurate or up-to-date. The post disclaims any warranties regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the content, services, or graphics on the website. It advises caution when using the information for any purpose.
