Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has extended amnesty to more than 1,000 convicts and ordered their release from prisons across the country as a gesture to mark the occasion of Christmas, according to a prisons official. Among those freed on Monday were individuals who had been incarcerated for their inability to pay outstanding fines, as stated by Prison Commissioner Gamini Dissanayake.
Sri Lanka, being predominantly Buddhist, has previously granted a similar number of convicts their freedom during the Vesak festival, which commemorates significant events in the life of Buddha such as his birth, enlightenment, and death.
The recent amnesty comes in the wake of a weeklong anti-narcotics operation, supported by the military, during which nearly 15,000 individuals were apprehended. However, the operation was suspended on the eve of Christmas. Law enforcement authorities reported that 13,666 suspects were arrested, while approximately 1,100 individuals with drug addiction issues were detained and sent for compulsory rehabilitation at a military-operated facility.
The prisons in the island nation have been plagued by chronic overcrowding. Official data indicates that as of Friday, the facilities, designed to accommodate 11,000 inmates, held nearly 30,000 prisoners.
President Wickremesinghe's decision to grant amnesty and release a significant number of convicts aims to alleviate the congestion within the prison system and provide an opportunity for those who have served their sentences to reintegrate into society. The gesture also reflects the spirit of compassion and goodwill associated with the Christmas season.
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