Maldives to transfer 15 Sri Lankan prisoners upon request of President Rajapaksa
07 Jan 2015, 3:08 PM
Daniel Bosley
President Abdulla Yameen has instructed authorities to hand over all Sri Lankan prisoners in the country to the Government of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of External Affairs has said that the move comes in response to a request from President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on humanitarian grounds.
“Fifteen Sri Lankan prisoners are currently serving sentences in Maldives. They had appealed to President Rajapaksa for their transfer to Sri Lanka in order to be close to their families,” explained the Sri Lankan government.
The transfer of the prisoners comes two days after the ratification of the Maldives’ first Extradition Act and one day before Sri Lanka’s presidential elections – though it is unclear if the decision is linked to either.
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