Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the release of former army commander Sarath Fonseka, a presidential spokesman said Sunday.
The president signed the papers authorizing Fonseka's release before his departure to Qatar. The documents were handed over to presidential chief of staff Gamini Senarath for onward transmission to the ministry of justice on Monday.
Rajapaksa left on Saturday night on an official visit to Qatar.
Fonseka, who is currently serving a three-year jail term, led the army during the final conflict against the rebels which eventually led to the end of the three-decade-long civil war in May 2009.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Political News
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.