Death-row prisoners continue hunger strike

By Norman Palihawadane

Death-row prisoners’ fast at the Welikada and Mahara Prisons entered the third day yesterday. The protesters are demanding that they, too, be given presidential pardons. Ten death row prisoners at the Welikada Prison were holding a rooftop protest while others continued their hunger strike in their cells, Prison Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said, adding that the prisoners had suspended the strike on Saturday, but resumed it yesterday. The protest began in the wake of the release of former MP Duminda Silva on a presidential pardon. The inmates launched their hunger strike on Friday (24) afternoon demanding their death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. About 264 inmates in Mahara, Welikada and Boossa prisons, too, were protesting. The prisoners did not have their breakfast. The Prison administration had informed the inmates that negotiations were underway to commute their death sentence to life imprisonment, yet the hunger strike was in progress, Ekanayake said.