President Mahinda Rajapaksa has granted a general amnesty to over 1000 prisoners on the occasion of prisoner welfare day which falls today.


The President has granted approval for the release of these prisoners on a recommendation made by Minister of Justice and Law Reforms Milinda Moragoda.


Minister Moragoda in his letter dated September 3 has recommended to the President that a general amnesty be granted to a select group of prisoners under the powers vested in the President under Article 34 of the Constitution.


Accordingly a special amnesty has been granted to the prisoners who were unable to pay fines imposed on them and serving a sentence as at September 12 and also to prisoners aged over 70 as September 12.


However criminals who were convicted for offences including drug trafficking unlawful assembly, robbery, treason, cruelty to children, abduction, rape, offences committed under emergency regulations as well as those serving longer jail terms had not been included.