Majlis Approves Extradition Treaty With Sri Lanka

Lawmakers on Sunday ratified a bill calling for an extradition treaty between the Iran and Sri Lanka governments.

The treaty that includes 21 articles will allow the two sides to exchange convicts and related documents, IRNA reported.

According to lawmaker Hassan Norouzi at least 15 Iranian prisoners are serving time in Lankan prisons while three Lanka nationals are behind bars in Iran.

Norouzi said the Majlis has put the bill on its agenda on the eve of the forthcoming visit to Colombo by Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.

A total of 203 lawmakers were present in the chamber and the bill was ratified by 153 yes votes, 11 no votes and 7 abstentions.

Larijani left Tehran on Sunday for Vietnamese capital Hanoi. According to Vietnamese media, the visit is on the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and will last until April 18. After that he will go to Sri Lanka.