Female inmates of Welikada on rooftop protest

by Saman Indrajith-August 14, 2018, 12:09 pm 

A group of female inmates of the Welikada prison yesterday staged a rooftop protest against what they called inordinate delays in hearing their court cases and the way they were treated.

Around 10 female inmates held on drug related offences got on to the roof of the prison around 11 am, shouting slogans demanding that the hearing of their cases be expedited.

Later, the number of protesters increased in the afternoon and at the time this edition went to press there were around 20 females still protesting.

Justice and Prison Reforms Minister Thalata Atukorale, contacted for comment, said that she had been informed of the protest by prison officials. "They can climb up to the roof top or whatever height but we cannot act in violation of the proper procedure to expedite cases. Today, anyone can stage protests and we have given them the freedom to do so. We will not send armed soldiers or STF commandos to get them down. We would not shoot the protesters as in the case of prison and other protests in the country during the times of the previous government. But we cannot interfere in court cases just because the inmates stage protests. She was in Nivitigala to lay the foundation stone for the Thuthtirpitigama bridge.

President of the Committee to Protect Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera told The Island that their outfit had staged a protest opposite the Welikada prison yesterday morning. "The government should understand that prisoners are not spending time in tourist hotels or rest houses or holiday bungalows. Some have been convicted while others are only remandees. There are internationally accepted guidelines to treat them. Those guidelines are known as Nelson Mandela guidelines. We demand that those standards be maintained. For example one recently appointed prison superintendent has imposed a new law for female inmates, according to which each inmate is allowed to keep only two pieces of underwear. The President should devise a mechanism to expedite those cases. We are planning to take this issue to the United Nations."

Perera said that the convicted female prisoners who did not take part in the yesterday’s rooftop protest would launch a hunger strike today to win their rights.

Female inmates launch protest at Welikada prison

2018-08-13

A group of female inmates of the Welikada prison are staging a protest on top of the roof of the prison, Police said.

The Prison officials said at least 20 females are on protest over the delay in their court cases.