The five Indian fishermen convicted by a Sri Lankan court for smuggling narcotics, will file an appeal against the High Court verdict in the Court of Appeal at Colombo, this week. Speaking to All India Radio, the lawyer for the Indian fishermen, Mr Anil Silva said that the appeal will highlight the fact that the fishermen have not been given a fair trial, which is their right under the Sri Lankan law.

Mr Silva pointed out that the crucial GPS evidence shows that the meeting of Indian and Sri Lankan vessels could not have taken place at the time and place as alleged and that the fishermen are innocent. Mr Silva explained that the appeal process in the Court of Appeal may take up to one year from now. If the appeal at this level fails, the fishermen have the recourse of appealing to the Supreme Court, he added.

Our Colombo Correspondent reports that President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s office has confirmed reports published in local papers in Colombo today, which say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic discussion with President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday over the issue of the five Indian fishermen.