Sri Lanka ex‑police chief and former defence secretary sentenced to death

Pujith Jayasundara Hemasiri Fernando death sentence Easter bombings Sri Lanka

A Sri Lankan permanent Trial‑at‑Bar sentenced former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to death for criminal negligence that allowed the 2019 Easter bombings. The three‑judge bench found them guilty of failing to act on prior intelligence warnings, dereliction of duty, murder and attempted murder.

The Easter attacks on 21 April 2019 targeted three churches and three hotels, killing 279 people and injuring about 500. Sri Lanka retains the death penalty but has observed a de facto moratorium since 1976, so death sentences are normally commuted to life imprisonment. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, elected in 2024, has said he will keep the moratorium. Both men may appeal the verdict.

The court’s majority opinion noted that State Intelligence Service Director Nilantha Jayawardena warned the officials on 20 April 2019 of imminent suicide attacks, yet no preventive action was taken, resulting in the large loss of life.

Entities: 2019 Easter Sunday bombings · 2019 Easter bombings · Anura Kumara Dissanayake · Colombo Permanent High Court · Hemasiri Fernando · Permanent High Court Trial‑at‑Bar · Pujith Jayasundara · Sri Lanka

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] The attacks targeted three churches and three hotels on April 21, 2019. (court description of the attacks)
[● 6 SOURCES] President Anura Kumara Dissanayake supports maintaining the death‑penalty moratorium. (existing claim)
[● 9 SOURCES] Former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando was also sentenced to death in the same case. (court sentencing)
[● 9 SOURCES] Former police chief Pujith Jayasundara was sentenced to death by a three‑judge Permanent High Court Trial‑at‑Bar in Colombo. (court sentencing)
[● 5 SOURCES] The 2019 Easter bombings killed 279 people. (existing claim)
[● 9 SOURCES] The court found both men guilty of criminal negligence for failing to act on intelligence warnings before the 2019 Easter bombings. (court verdict)
[● 6 SOURCES] About 500 people were injured in the bombings. (existing claim)
[● 6 SOURCES] Sri Lanka has a de facto moratorium on executions; death sentences are typically commuted to life imprisonment. (existing claim)
[● 9 SOURCES] Former police chief Pujith Jayasundara was sentenced to death for criminal negligence related to the 2019 Easter bombings. (a24ac8af-10b8-405e-bebf-2c4eb2431feb, a3c695d9-6558-4243-885f-67ea4ae538e1, 98fc2536-cfaf-4d01-8380-9c7d2f1fdaa9, 98f2c6)
[● 9 SOURCES] Former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando was sentenced to death for criminal negligence related to the 2019 Easter bombings. (same as above)
[● 9 SOURCES] The court found the defendants guilty of failing to act on prior intelligence warnings. (new)