Sri Lanka President to end moratorium on death penalty

Last week, Sirisena said convicted drug traffickers will be hanged as a part of the government's crackdown on narcotics. Sri Lanka has maintained the moratorium since its last execution in 1976.

Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka, speaks during one of the sessions at the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters. (Source: AP)

Sri Lanka’s president says the government will still end its 42-year moratorium on capital punishment despite requests by the European Union and other diplomatic missions not to do so.

President Maithripala Sirisena said the decision to implement the death penalty for drug smugglers “will not be changed under any circumstance and despite the objections raised by some factions against the move,” according to the president’s website.

Last week, Sirisena said convicted drug traffickers will be hanged as a part of the government’s crackdown on narcotics. Sri Lanka has maintained the moratorium since its last execution in 1976.

No date has been set for the first new execution.

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