The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena, will impose the death penalty on convicted drug traffickers within the next two months
This is after he vowed to free the country from the drug menace by 2020, local media reports said on Thursday.
Mr Sirisena informed the parliament on Wednesday that he was determined to impose capital punishment by hanging the convicted drug criminals as part of his anti-narcotics drive.
Sri Lanka’s justice minister, Thalatha Atukorale, informed the parliament on Tuesday that her ministry had complied with the president’s request to restart capital punishment.
Ms Atukorale added that five names of drug convicts had been sent to the president between October 12 and the end of January.
However, Mr Sirisena was yet to sign the warrants and fix the execution dates.
Although capital punishment is a legal penalty in Sri Lanka, there have been no executions carried out since 1976.
(Xinhua/NAN)
Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
TEXT AD: Why women cheat: what every Nigerian man should know
![McDonald's ad. [PHOTO CREDIT: McDonald's]](https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2022/05/Screenshot-101.png?resize=120%2C86&ssl=1)
