Sri Lanka has hired two hangmen following the president's announcement that four prisoners convicted of drug offences are to face the death penalty, which is the first time in 43 years.

Sri Lanka has abandoned capital punishment that has been in place since 1976. The hang will end the moratorium.

Crimes, such as rape, drug trafficking and murder are punishable by the death penalty in Sri Lanka, but no one has been executed for any crime in the country since 1976 when all death penalties were commuted to life in prison.

President Maithripala Sirisena said reintroducing capital punishment will clamp down on the drug trade in Sri Lanka. However, an EU statement said: "While the Sri Lankan authorities have cited the need to address drug-related offences, studies show that the death penalty fails to act as a deterrent to crime." 

EU also condemned the conduct a "cruel, inhuman and a degrading punishment".

Sri Lanka government made a recruitment advertisement in February for hangmen, which attracted more than 100 applicants, including two Americans and two women who all failed as the hangmen needed to be Sri Lankan, male, aged 18-45 and mentally strong.

Sri Lanka's last hangman quit in 2014 without executing anyone, citing his shock after seeing the gallows.