Chennai, Feb 20 (IANS): Tamil filmmakers like Bharathiraja, Cheran and Gowthaman have expressed their gratitude to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa for announcing the freedom of seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The decision to release the convicts was taken in cabinet meeting held Wednesday.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated near Chennai in May 1991.

Bharathiraja said all Tamils should be indebted to Jayalalithaa.

"Judge Sadasivam and his team have reinforced our belief in the nation and its law. All Tamils in the world are indebted to CM of Tamil Nadu for life. At a time when the centre had rejected the mercy plea of the convicts, the verdict brought out under the leadership of Jayalalithaa is historical," Bharathiraja said in a statement.

"The decision to free Nalini, Ravichandran, Robert Pious and J. Kumar, who have already spent over two decades in prison, gives all Tamil around the world a lot of happiness. Also, the cancellation of death sentences of Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan makes me happy," he added.

Cheran and Gowthaman expressed their heartfelt gratitude.

Several fought for the release of three. Over the years, many leaders voiced their opinion and fought for their release. A sister set herself on fire and a mother waited for 23 years for the release of her son. We will never understand their suffering, Cheran and Gowthaman said in joint a statement.

"The verdict has come at the right time. It's the tears of their victory. Even when the central government announced the death sentence for the three convicts, our Tamil Nadu government didn't budge and did the right thing. We thank our CM for her efforts," the statement further said.