The Department of Prisons says court proceedings for inmates transferred from the Negombo Prison to other facilities will be conducted online through Zoom, as required by the courts.
Prison Media Spokesman and Commissioner A. C. Gajanayake said requests have been made to the relevant courts to arrange hearings online, and the department expects to act according to the orders received.
The move comes in the wake of the recent clash at Negombo Prison, where fighting between two groups of inmates left 29 people dead, including prison officers, and injured over 100 others.
Following the violence, a number of inmates were transferred to other prisons, creating logistical challenges in producing them before courts for their cases.
Officials said around 600 inmates still remain at Negombo Prison, and they too are scheduled to be relocated to other facilities soon. (Newswire)