TNA MPs visit Tamil political prisoners

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 March 2007, 00:12 GMT]
Seven Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians accompanied by Minister for Justice and Legal Reformation, Dilan Perera, visited the Tamil Political prisoners at Magazine Prison in Colombo Thursday evening and discussed matters related to their release. The prisoners who had begun a fast-to-death campaign on 21 February had called off their action temporarily on February 26 following TNA parliamentarians' assurance to assist them.

Vanni district parliamentarians Selvam Adaikalnathan, Sivanathan Kishore, Batticaloa district MPs Ariyanenthiran, Kanagasabai, Thankeswary, Amparai district MPs Chandrakanthan and Pathmanathan are the seven TNA MPs who visited the prisoners.

"We explored the possibilities of transferring the 68 Tamil political prisoners to prisons in their own districts with the minister," Selvam Adaikalanathan, MP, said.

Minister Dilan Perera assured the prisoners that he would discuss the issue of hastening the trials and the release of the prisoners with the Attorney General, the MP added.

Discussions lasted an hour and the minister issued directives to the Prison Officer-in-charge to provide the needed facilities to the prisoners, Adaikalanathan said.

There are legal problems involved in releasing the prisoners immediately and we have decided to take up this subject for consultation with Chief Justice Sarath. N. Silva, he added.

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