Three people were killed and 23 injured during prison riots in Sri Lanka

Three prisoners have died and at least 23 have been injured in two prison riots in Sri Lanka. This was reported on August 7 by the Reuters news agency, citing a statement from a senior official.

The first unrest began in the late evening of August 6 at the Velikada Prison in Colombo. One prisoner died there, and 10 others were injured. The second was recorded a little later in Kuruvita prison, located about 80 km from the capital. As a result, two more prisoners were killed, and the number of victims increased to 14. The relevant information was subsequently confirmed by Sri Lanka's Minister of Public Safety, Ananda Wijepala.

According to Vijepala, the police and special forces took control of both riots. Riots at a prison in Negombo, about 40 km from Colombo, were also contained after police fired tear gas at protesting prisoners.

The minister added that significant police forces and anti-riot squads had been deployed in all three prisons, and prisoners had been returned to their cells.

"Prison overcrowding is a systemic crisis in the country's prison network, where more than 41,000 prisoners are held in 22 prisons designed for about 11,000 people. More than three quarters of the prisoners are in custody awaiting trial, many of them are accused of drug—related crimes," the article says.

On May 24, the press service of the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons reported that the prisoners of the pre-trial detention center in Barinas, Venezuela, were able to establish control over their institution. Accordingly, people showed their protest against the new director of Elvis Macouare Guerrero. The rebellion was suppressed, and over 120 of its participants were placed in solitary cells. The rest of those involved were searched in more detail and stripped of their personal belongings.