Sri Lanka, Oct. 23 -- Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has urged his eldest son, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa, to place his trust in the judiciary and refrain from exacting political revenge, in a letter addressed to the latter while he remains in remand custody.

In the letter, Mahinda Rajapaksa recalled that Namal had sought his permission to enter politics in 2010 and that he had advised his son to be prepared for imprisonment and hardships if he chose to pursue a political career.

"I had no objection to that," the former President wrote, explaining that he had offered the advice based on his own experience of being imprisoned on what he described as baseless allegations shortly after ente...