13 people were sentenced to death in two cases in two places. Sri Lanka Latest News
Although Sri Lankan courts have awarded the death penalty for serious crimes such as murder, rape and drug trafficking, the death penalty has not been carried out since 1976.
The Colombo High Court sentenced five people involved in heroin trafficking to death.
Judge Namal Balalle ruled that the defendants were guilty of transporting over 152 kilograms of heroin from a fishing vessel seized by the Sri Lankan Navy in Ratmalana in 2019.
In his judgment, Justice Balalele stated that the charges filed by the Attorney General against the defendants have been proved beyond reasonable doubt.
He stated that the accused showed no remorse for the crime they committed and the death penalty should be implemented to prevent others from engaging in such activities.
The Kalutara High Court also sentenced eight other people to death in connection with a murder reported 20 years ago.
In 2003, the suspects were sentenced after being found guilty of murdering a person by assaulting them with sharp weapons.
In March 2003, a resident of Kalil Place, Kalutara South, was beaten to death by the suspects with a sharp weapon.
The Attorney General filed charges against the suspects in the Kalutara High Court.
According to media reports, the suspects are between the ages of 43 and 59 and are residents of the Kalutara area.
After a 20-year trial, Kalutara High Court Judge Pradeep Abeyratne announced the verdict in this case.
