List of 18 inmates on death row sent to Justice Ministry

• Hunt for an executioner begins this week 

The Prisons Commissioner has forwarded the list of 18 inmates on death row to the Justice Ministry as the Government looks to implement the death sentence on them.

“The list contains all offenders convicted of drug-related charges who have been given the death sentence,” the Commissioner General of Prisons H. M. N. C. Dhanasinghe told Daily FT. 

The inmates have been serving life in prison as the death sentence was not implemented in Sri Lanka.

However, last week, Cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said that the Cabinet discussion determined that only those who have been carrying out drug trafficking from inside the Prisons will be selected for execution. 

Dhanasinghe also said that the call for application to recruit a hangman or an executioner will be made this week. 

The Commissioner General is optimistic that interested parties will respond to the call. Although two individuals were selected in an earlier call for the vacancy, the selected individuals vacated their posts during training period. 

Since 2014, the country has not been able to fill the vacancy. 

“I will see what the response is when the applications are called. Last time also we had applicants,” Dhanasinghe said.