APHR argues Government to replace Death Penalty with other forms of Punishment.

The Ministry of Rehabilitations and Prison Reforms has requested Ministry of Justice to consider changing the Death Penalty into a life sentence, reported in the Government owned Sinhalese News Paper Dinamina on 26^th April. According to the newspaper the Ministry has appointed a committee to examine the different way to replace Death penalty   as punishment.

 This media statement released by the Ministry,  in the context of rising  dissatisfaction and frustration among nearly 355 Death Row inmates in Welikada and Bogambara prisons, about their current deteriorating prison conditions and inhuman treatments received by themselves.  Very often, the Death Row inmates argue with the Prison Authorities to either Hang them or change their capital punishment in to a other form of  sentences  that allow Death Row Inmates  to move freely inside the prison and take part  with activities available for other convicted  prisoners. 

APHR want to recall that Sri Lanka is under defacto  moratorium since 1976 after the last official execution, and currently 76 states  out of 146 UNO member states are  already abolished Death Penalty and substitute the  the Capital Punishment with alternative conditions. 

APHR wish to argue that Government Authorities including Rehabilitation and Prison Reform Ministry should genuinely   committed  to revoking the Death Penalty form the Penal Cord. The death penalty is substituted with life imprisonment with the possibility of pardon or amnesty, conditional release or alternative means according to the  Human Rights stipulated in the Sri Lankan Constitution  and International Human Rights Law.

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