Overcrowded prisons – Sri Lanka releases more than a thousand prisoners – News

• The government in Sri Lanka has released more than a thousand prisoners from chronically overcrowded prisons.
• The authorities said the reason for this was the Christian Christmas festival. President Ranil Wickremesinghe issued the pardons.
• In Sri Lanka, prisoners are released on important religious festivals or special anniversaries.

Human rights organizations criticize the country for the fact that prisons are significantly overcrowded. More than half of the island nation’s prisoners are behind bars for selling or consuming illegal substances. However, prisoners convicted of murder, rape or drug trafficking were not released, it was said.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe issued the pardons. This is to celebrate the Christian Christmas in the predominantly Buddhist island state. Only around eight percent of the population are Christians.

Nationwide drug raid

In a nationwide raid that has been underway for a week, police have so far arrested more than 14,000 people for suspected drug trafficking. In order to avoid overcrowding in prisons, many arrestees were released on bail. A police spokesman said they would have to appear in court later.

The government in Colombo called for a tough crackdown because the narcotics business in Sri Lanka has been booming for years. According to the police, the tropical island south of India is an international drug trafficking hub. Most illegal substances are smuggled into the country by sea. Even children would consume the substances. Cannabis is also grown domestically.

According to official figures, a total of more than 25,000 people are in prison in connection with drug trafficking – an offense that can be punished with death. During the ongoing raid, more than ten kilograms of heroin and other drugs were seized from houses, shops and vehicles. They also confiscated real estate, vehicles and boats that the perpetrators were said to have purchased with proceeds from drug trafficking.