The United Nations today appealed President Maithripala Sirisena to hold the moratorium on the death penalty.

The UN statement came hours after President Sirisena confirmed that he had sanctioned death penalty on four convicts. Sirisena the date for their exectution is also fixed. The President made this revelation while adressing a meeting with newspaper editors and media heads this morning.

"The Death Penalty is a cruel punishment and does little to serve victims or deter future crimes. Echoing Secretary General Antonio Guterres and many member states, we continue to advocate for the universal abolishment of Capital Punishment," UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer said.

"Drug menace is a global challenge with a damaging impact on societies. To combat it, a holistic approach involving health, human rights, criminal justice & social service institutions must be followed," she also added.