An appeal was filed on Tuesday in the Colombo High Court on behalf of the five Indian fishermen who were recently sentenced to death for alleged drug trafficking.

Senior Lawyer S. Anil Silva told The Hindu that a brief would be prepared to be sent to the Court of Appeal, and that the Court would give a date for hearing the case.

The appeal was to be filed on Monday, but the Indian High Commission wanted to have a look at it. “They saw it and approved it, so filed the appeal today,” Mr. Silva said.

New Delhi is said to be pursuing the case through legal and diplomatic channels at the highest level.

On Sunday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed possible options in the case of the five Indian fishermen who, along with three Sri Lankan fishermen, were on October 30 sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court.

They were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on November 28, 2011 near Delft Island off Jaffna peninsula on charges of drug peddling.
(The Hindu)