{"id":68208,"date":"2020-03-26T18:18:35","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T23:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=68208"},"modified":"2020-03-26T19:01:57","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T00:01:57","slug":"sri-lankan-president-gotabaya-rajapaksa-pardons-and-releases-soldier-on-death-row-for-killing-eight-tamil-civilians-including-a-child-and-two-teen-agers-while-justicehuman-rights-and-legal-reforms-m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=68208","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Pardons and Releases Soldier On Death Row for Killing Eight Tamil Civilians Including a Child and Two Teen-agers while Justice,Human Rights and Legal Reforms Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva says \u201cConstitutionally Mandated Procedure for Pardon was Followed\u201d."},"content":{"rendered":"


\nBy<\/p>\n

Meera Srinivasan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday pardoned and released an Army man who was on death row for killing eight Tamil civilians, including a five-year-old and two teenagers, in 2000 during the civil war.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe President has instructed the Ministry of Justice to release Sgt Ratnayake from prison,\u201d a spokeswoman at the Presidential Media Division said.<\/p>\n

In 2015, Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake was convicted for the killings in Mirusuvil, Jaffna Peninsula, and sentenced to death.<\/p>\n

In 2019, the Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence.
\n
\n*************************<\/strong>
\nSri Lanka’s Tamil National Alliance condemns pardon of murder convict<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka\u2019s main party representing Tamils of the north and east, condemned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s decision to pardon and release an Army officer who was on death row for killing eight Tamil civilians \u2014 including a 5-year-old and two teenagers\u2014 in 2000 during the civil war.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf true, we condemn the opportunistic action of Prez @GotabayaR under guise of dealing with the issue of prisoners at a time like this. This is one case in which a person was actually convicted. Other cases weren\u2019t even prosecuted or were acquitted,\u201d the TNA tweeted.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka has been on a near-total lockdown and enforced curfew for a week now, with a total of 104 COVID-19 patients reported so far.<\/p>\n

In 2015, Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake was tried before a three-member bench at the Colombo High Court. He was convicted for the murder in Mirusuvil, Jaffna Peninsula, and sentenced to death. In 2019, the Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and the sentence.<\/p>\n


\nRare instance<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The case is widely cited as a rare instance of accountability, amid lingering concerns over impunity for war-crimes committed during Sri Lanka’s three-decade civil war.<\/p>\n

Issuing a statement, rights watchdog Amnesty International said using the pandemic as an opportunity to release those convicted for heinous crimes is reprehensible. \u201cVictims have a right to justice, and Sri Lanka has an obligation to ensure that justice is done.<\/p>\n

Semblance of justice<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

After many long years, the victims of the Mirusuvil massacre from 2000 finally got a semblance of justice in 2015. It is despicable to have that justice reversed through an arbitrary executive decision,\u201d Amnesty regional director Biraj Patnaik said.<\/p>\n

Asked to comment on the Presidential pardon, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Legal Reforms, said a report had been called from his Ministry. \u201cThe final decision is with the President. He can overrule anything. He has the absolute power to grant pardon, no one can question him,\u201d he told The Hindu, adding that the constitutionally mandated procedure for the pardon was followed.<\/p>\n

M.A. Sumanthiran, former Jaffna MP and a senior lawyer, said the executive pardon in the \u201crarest of rare cases\u201d that ended in a conviction confirms that the Sri Lankan state \u201cwill never\u201d exercise accountability for war-time atrocities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the institutions of the state will eventually conspire together and let the offenders go free,\u201d he told The Hindu.<\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Hindu<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday pardoned and released an Army man who was on death row for killing eight Tamil civilians, including a five-year-old and two teenagers, in 2000 during the civil war. \u201cThe President has instructed the Ministry of Justice to release Sgt Ratnayake from prison,\u201d a spokeswoman at …<\/p>\n

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