Overview
- Officials confirmed late Friday that two separate clashes at New Magazine Prison in Colombo and Kuruwita prison left three inmates dead and 23 injured and that the disturbances have been contained by police, special forces and troops.
- Security forces used riot squads, tear gas and troop deployments to return inmates who had climbed onto rooftops or broken into open areas back to wards and to secure the affected facilities.
- Public Security and Justice ministers said the violence appears linked to narcotics dealers and rival gangs and that a comprehensive investigation has been opened to determine whether the incidents were coordinated sabotage.
- The government has called meetings with stakeholders and is considering measures to cut remand numbers and speed case processing, including proposals to extend judges' tenure to help clear a backlog of more than one million court cases.
- Rights groups and prison advocates say the unrest reflects chronic overcrowding and poor conditions, with the system holding roughly 39,000 inmates in facilities built for about 10,000, a pressure point that increases risks to inmates and staff.