Updated November 12th, 2019 at 14:01 IST
Sri Lanka: Sirisena faces massive backlash as he pardons teen's killer
Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena has been subject to heavy criticism on Twitter following his decision to pardon a death-row prisoner Jude Jayamaha.
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Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena has been subject to heavy criticism following his decision to pardon a death row prisoner, Jude Jayamaha, who murdered a Swedish teenager, Yvonne Johnson, in the year 2005. According to reports, Yvonne was murdered on the stairs of her apartment block and her body was found on the 19th floor where her family was in the capital city of Colombo in the year 2005, after an argument with Jude Jayamaha.
Sirisena had announced in October that he was thinking about granting a pardon to Jude as the killer has exhibited good behavior in the prison and had been jailed over an incident of impatience.
President Sirisena in his final week in the office has granted a Presidential Pardon to Shramantha Jayamaha imprisoned for murdering a 19 year old girl at Royal Park apartment in 2005. The court imposed the death sentence on Shramantha in 2012. pic.twitter.com/4hww9hrvL1
— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen)
Read: Sri Lanka: Supreme Court Blocks Sirisena's Bid To Resume Hangings
Netizens shocked
Netizens were outraged by the decision taken and that resulted in one person stating that the outgoing President should be investigated and the authorities should find out how much money he pocketed to even consider releasing the convicted killer whereas someone said that all outgoing presidents should be denied all pardon making powers. A Twitterati expressed his shock over the President's decision, tagging the murder as a heinous crime and added that this decision by Sirisena was not acceptable.
I'm Shocked !!! 🤷♂️🤷♂️✍ @MaithripalaS
— Trehan Munasinghe™ (රාවණා) (@Tre_Munasinghe)
It was just not a murder , it was a heinous crime and the evidence in court showed/proved the gravity of the act.
I'm against his release and let it be known, have nothing against him or his family, however this isn't acceptable.
Another user said that the President should take the killer's place and added that the only reason behind Jude's release was his well connected and rich family.
Sirisena should be made to take the monster'place. Any bets that if the monster wasn't from a wealthy connected family that he would have been hanged long ago. Perhaps both will be visited by cobras.
— Terry Vickerman (@GreywolfTerry)
Read: Sri Lanka's Sirisena Exits, With Reform Promises Unfulfilled
Read: Sri Lanka: Maithripala Sirisena Not To Contest National Polls
A gruesome murder
During a trial of Jude Jayamaha, the court observed that the victim's head was smashed in 64 different pieces and that led to Jude being awarded a 12-year prison sentence. However, his appeal against the 12-year sentence was rejected and was converted to a death sentence that was upheld by the Sri Lankan supreme court in the year 2014.
Read: Sri Lanka: SLFP Extends Support To Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Ahead Of Polls
(With inputs from agencies)
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Published November 12th, 2019 at 11:27 IST