Two individuals serving life sentences for LTTE activities, Nagalingam Madansekar and Selvathurai Kirubakaran, were granted Presidential Pardons.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended the pardons to Madansekar and Kirubakaran, who had been convicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations.
Madansekar faced charges under the Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions and Powers) Regulations and was convicted in the Colombo High Court on March 29, 2023, receiving a life sentence.
Kirubakaran, found guilty under the PTA, had filed an appeal against his conviction. However, on July 20, 2022, the Court of Appeal affirmed the ruling of the Colombo High Court.
Despite their convictions, the President invoked his powers under Article 34(1) of the Constitution to grant Presidential Pardons to Madansekar and Kirubakaran.
The initiation of these pardons followed a recommendation by Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, supported by a Prison Department report citing the duo's exemplary behavior.
