After recruitment drive ends, Sri Lanka picks two hangmen as death penalty for drug offences resume

The two men were picked out of 100 applicants who responded to an ad calling for suitable candidates of ‘excellent moral character’ and ‘mental strength’

They will have to go through a two-week training, said a prisons spokesman

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People in Colombo protest the reintroduction of the death penalty in Sri Lanka. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 9:14pm, 29 Jun 2019Updated: 9:17pm, 29 Jun 2019

Sri Lanka has hired two hangmen as it prepares for executions of four prisoners convicted of drug offences in what would be the country’s first use of the death penalty for over 40 years, prison authorities said on Friday.

The Prisons Department began the recruitment process in March after the last hangman quit in 2014, citing stress after seeing the gallows for the first time. Another, hired last year, never turned up for work.

President Maithripala Sirisena announced on Wednesday an end to a moratorium on the death penalty in force since 1976, a move political analysts said was meant to boost his chances of re-election if he stands again later this year.

Local and international rights groups, along with Britain, Canada, the European Union and United Nations have raised concerns about the South Asian nation’s restoration of capital punishment.

“The recruitment process is finalised and two [hangmen] have been selected. The two need to go through final training which will take about two weeks,” prisons spokesman Thushara Upuldeniya said.

The two were picked from among 100 applicants who responded to an advertisement calling for male Sri Lankans aged between 18 and 45 with “excellent moral character” and “mental strength”.