Oct 11, Colombo: Sri Lanka Minister of Justice Rauf Hakeem said today that the Ministry of Justice has prepared a report regarding the prisoners in death row.

The report has been compiled with the information obtained from the Ministry of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation and it will be handed over to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The President will take a decision regarding the death row prisoners based on the report, the Minister said.

He pointed out that the President is the only authority who can decide on implementing the death penalty or pardoning the convicts.

The Minister expressed these views in response to a question raised by the MP of Kurunegala district Dayasiri Jayasekara. The MP asked about the position of the government regarding the fate of more than 200 prisoners condemned to death.

Sri Lanka recognizes death penalty in principle but it is not implemented since the President does not endorse it. All death penalty cases have been commuted to life in prison and there have been no executions since 1973.

The government reinstated the death penalty in 2004 for murder, rape and drug trafficking following the murder of a high court judge.