Twelve petitions against President's decision to impose death penalty

COLOMBO (News 1st) -The Supreme Court has received a total of 12 fundamental rights petitions against the implementation of the death penalty, including the 11 petitions received today (July 01). Professor C. Gunasekara of the Center for Policy Alternatives and other parties submitted petitions stating that president's decision to impose the death penalty on selected convicts violates the fundamental rights of both general public and the convicts who received capital punishment. The petitions add that selection of convicts who are related to drug offences over the number of convicts who received capital punishment for homicides violates fundamental rights. The Attorney General, Commissioner General of Prisons, the Minister of Justice as well as the Superintendent of the Welikada Prison have been named as respondents in these petitions. Sudesh Chandimal, convener to the Preservation of Prisoners' Rights Organization submitted a fundamental rights petition on June 28th while the journalist, Malinda Seneviratne appealed to the Supreme Court to order an interim injunction order to suspend the president's order to execute convicts related to drug offences.