Sri Lanka grants amnesty to 540 prisoners

A total of 540 prisoners were released on a presidential pardon in Sri Lanka on Saturday in view of Vesak, an important holiday and day for Buddhists all over the world.

The Prisons Department said the prisoners released were serving minor offences and included those who had been imprisoned for their failure to pay the fines imposed by court.

Those who are above 70 years old and who had been serving their sentences for more than 10 years were also included in the pardon.

The department said no prisoner who had been sentenced for murders, robberies and child and woman abuses were released under the pardon.

Out of the 540 released, 47 were released from the Welikada Prison, the main prison in Sri Lanka's capital.

Source: XINHUA