With no one to execute, Sri Lanka’s new hangmen to do light administrative work for now
Despite having over 1,000 convicts on death row, the capital punishment has not been carried out for almost 40 years
Sri Lanka has hired two new executioners to replace the previous hangman, who quit soon after seeing the gallows for the first time, even though capital punishment has not been carried out there for almost 40 years.
No one has been executed there since 1976 and the role of executioner is described as "light administrative work only", even though there are 1,116 convicts on death row.
"It doesn’t matter whether the government wants to execute or not," said Prisons Commissioner General Rohana Pushpakumara.
"In the event the government wants to carry out executions, we should be prepared," he said.
Death sentences have been routinely commuted to life in jail since 1976, even though Sri Lanka only officially acknowledged last month it was no longer carrying out capital punishment.
More than half of those who are on death row have lodged appeals against their sentences, Pushpakumara said.