Some of the murdered COVID-19 positive prisoners were ones released by court

A woman lamented before Wattala Magistrate Court of Sri Lanka yesterday saying the prison authorities of Mahara prison had killed her husband who had been bailed out by the court. She told that she had deposited the bail for the man to get him released by the time he was shot dead. 

The postmortem reports of this particular man and three others were submitted to Wattala magistrate court yesterday. Ther four of them were COVID-19 positive persons. Prison authorities shot them dead in an incident they claim a prison riot. The prisoners staged a protest before that demanding PCR tests conducted and patients separated from others. 

Eleven prisoners were killed in the incident and Minister of Prisons Lohan Ratwatta earlier told that the cause of the deaths was not shooting. However, the postmortem revealed that the prisoners had died due to gunshot injuries. 

Eight of the killed prisoners are COVID-19 positive. Their postmortems have now been conducted and the postmortems of the three other prisoners are to be conducted. 

Dead bodies of four of the COVID-19 positive prisoners were previously cremated. The Attorney General's Department wanted the bodies of the other four prisoners also cremated with immediate effect but the Committee to Protect the Rights of the Prisoners protested destroying the evidence of a crime. 

The decision regarding the dead bodies was postponed until December 30. 

The slain prisoners are not convicted and they are only suspects. The authorities and the media loyal to them claim that they are drug offenders. Although the authorities try to justify the killing of prisoners, section 13 (4) of the constitution of Sri Lanka highlights “No person shall be punished with death or imprisonment except by order of a competent court, made in accordance with the procedure established by law.”

Amnesty International said issuing a statement on killing of prisoners in Sri Lanka that prison authorities should ensure an end to the use of unlawful and excessive force against prisoners agitating against their detention conditions during the outbreak of COVID-19 within prisons. "Ensure that force is only ever used against prisoners where it is strictly necessary and proportionate to a legitimate objective," the statement said. 

"The incident at Mahara Prison Complex is the third time this year that lethal force has been used against prison inmates in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. In March, two prisoners were killed and several others injured in Anuradhapura prison in North Central Province, following a protest related to COVID-19. On 18 November, a prisoner was shot dead while trying to escape from Bogambara Prison in Central Province, where more than 100 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19," the statement further said.

Postmortems of nine COVID-19 infected prisoners and two others killed in Sri Lanka being conducted

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka reported to Wattala Magistrate Court on December 18, 2020, that the postmortem reports of seven remand prisoners killed in Mahara prison would be submitted to the court on December 23. Five of these killed seven prisoners are COVID-19 patients. 

CID cited that the postmortem had been delayed because of the cremation of four other prisoners was delayed. The postmortem of these four remand prisoners was conducted earlier and the cause of death was cited as gunshot injuries. 

The prison officials shot at the prisoners but the Prisons Minister Lohan Ratwatta lied to media that no prisoner had died due to gunfire. 

The lawyers appearing for the rights of the prisoners appealed to the court that the dead bodies of the slain prisoners buried but the CID objected it. The dead bodies were cremated later.

Chaos occurred in the congested Mahara prison in Gampaha district due to the fear of COVID-19. The prisoners demanded PCR conducted among them and the infected persons separated. Eleven prisoners were killed and over 100 were injured as a result of firing by the prison officers. PCR conducted later proved that nine of the 11 killed prisoners had been contracted COVID-19. 

(Photo: A man suspected to be another prisoner deployed without personal protective equipment to attend to the dead bodies while the officials keep a safe distance)    

Prisoners killed in Sri Lanka are COVID-19 patients

Amnesty International said issuing a statement on killing of prisoners in Sri Lanka that prison authorities should ensure an end to the use of unlawful and excessive force against prisoners agitating against their detention conditions during the outbreak of COVID-19 within prisons. "Ensure that force is only ever used against prisoners where it is strictly necessary and proportionate to a legitimate objective," the statement said. 

"The incident at Mahara Prison Complex is the third time this year that lethal force has been used against prison inmates in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. In March, two prisoners were killed and several others injured in Anuradhapura prison in North Central Province, following a protest related to COVID-19. On 18 November, a prisoner was shot dead while trying to escape from Bogambara Prison in Central Province, where more than 100 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19," the statement further said.

Prisons Commissioner of Sri Lanka Thushara Upuldeniya said to media that nine of the 11 prisoners killed in Mahara prison had been COVID-19 positive. The reports of the PCR tests conducted on the dead bodies revealed this and the reports of the other two deceased are to be received. The unrest in Mahara prison started with the demand of the prisoners to conduct PCR tests and to treat the patients. 

Sri Lanka's prisons are about three-fold overcrowded and the remanded prisoners in many prisons agitate demanding bail, PCR tests and quarantine. The COVID-19 cluster in prisons has exceeded 1,000 now but the number of PCR tests is still low. 

The prison authorities say that prisoners in Mahara rioted, attempted to escape, set ablaze the record room and other buildings, took two officials hostage and the prison officers shot at the prisoners to control them.

By now, 11 prisoners have been killed and more than 100 prisoners have been injured due to the attacks on November 29, according to prison sources. Deputy Director of Ragama Hospital Dr. Sarath Premasiri said on November 30 that the condition of 10 of the prisoners was critical. Three prisoners of them have already died now.

Many of the patients are COVID-19 positive. The agitation started with the demand of the prisoners to conduct PCR tests and quarantine them. A large number of naked prisoners were seen transported in hired buses out of the prison yesterday. The prisoners said to the relatives who had gathered near the prison that they had been transported somewhere for quarantine. 

Wives, mothers, children, siblings and other relatives of the prisoners were seen weeping near the prison and Ragama hospital pleading police and other officials to inform them of the plight of their loved ones. 

Some women were shown on television channels begging the authorities to stop shooting the prisoners. In one scene, a video showed the shock of a young mother carrying a baby when she heard police announced the death of her husband.

The slain prisoners are not convicted and they are only suspects. 

Sri Lankan Minister who is responsible for prison mismanagement given another title

Sri Lanka Minister of Prison Reforms and Prisoners' Rehabilitation Sudarshani Fernandopulle who is responsible for prison mismanagement in Sri Lanka was given a new title immediately after at least eight prisoners were killed in an incident in Mahara Prison of Sri Lanka. 

Accordingly, Fernandopulle was sworn in as State Minister of Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention on 30th November 2020 before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

Sri Lanka's prisons are around three-fold overcrowded and the remanded prisoners in many prisons agitate demanding bail, PCR tests and quarantine. The COVID-19 cluster in prisons have exceeded 1,000 now but the number of PCR tests is still low. 

The basic demand of the prisoners in Mahara prison was conducting PCR tests. The prison authorities say that prisoners rioted, attempted to escape, set ablaze the record room and other buildings, took two officials hostage and the prison officers shot at the prisoners to control them. 

Eight prisoners were killed and more than 60 prisoners were hospitalized, prison sources say. Deputy Director of Ragama Hospital Dr. Sarath Premasiri said that the condition of 10 of the prisoners was critical. Many of the patients are COVID-19 positive. The agitation started with the demand of the prisoners to conduct PCR tests and quarantine them. 

A large number of naked prisoners were seen transported in hired buses out of the prison yesterday. The prisoners said to the relatives who had gathered near the prison that they had been transported somewhere for quarantine. 

Wives, mothers, children, siblings and other relatives of the prisoners were seen weeping near the prison and Ragama hospital pleading police and other officials to inform them of the plight of their loved ones. Some women were shown on television channels begging the authorities to stop shooting the prisoners. 

In one scene, a video showed the shock of a young mother carrying a baby when she heard police announced the death of her husband. 

Sudarshani Fernandopulle was a Consultant Community Physician before she entered into politics after Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam killed her husband Jeyaraj Fernandopulle in 2008. 

She was seen breaking the chair of Speaker in the parliament during the parliament riots on  November 16, 2020.