Sri Lanka ex‑police chief and former defence secretary sentenced to death for 2019 Easter bombings

Pujith Jayasundara Hemasiri Fernando Easter bombings death sentence Sri Lanka

A three‑judge Permanent High Court Trial‑at‑Bar in Colombo sentenced former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to death. The majority verdict found both men guilty of criminal negligence, dereliction of duty, murder and attempted murder for failing to act on intelligence warnings that a coordinated suicide‑bomb attack would hit three churches and three tourist hotels on 21 April 2019. The attacks killed 279 people and injured about 500. One judge dissented, saying the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt. Sri Lanka retains the death penalty but has observed an informal moratorium on executions since 1976, so the sentences are expected to be commuted to life imprisonment. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, elected in 2024, has pledged to keep the moratorium in place. The case was reheard after the Supreme Court ordered a new trial; the two officials had previously been acquitted in 2022.

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 · State Intelligence Service

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 12 SOURCES] Former police chief Pujith Jayasundara was sentenced to death by the Permanent High Court Trial‑at‑Bar in Colombo. english.gossiplankanews.com · srnnews.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · www.newswire.lk · +7 more
[● 12 SOURCES] Former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando was sentenced to death by the Permanent High Court Trial‑at‑Bar in Colombo. english.gossiplankanews.com · srnnews.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · www.newswire.lk · +7 more
[● 19 SOURCES] About 500 people were injured in the 2019 Easter bombings. wixx.com · wkzo.com · wsau.com · srnnews.com · wtop.com · +14 more
[● 20 SOURCES] Sri Lanka retains the death penalty but has observed a de‑facto moratorium on executions since 1976. srnnews.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk · wixx.com · wkzo.com · +15 more
[● 19 SOURCES] President Anura Kumara Dissanayake supports maintaining the death‑penalty moratorium. srnnews.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk · wixx.com · wkzo.com · +14 more
[● 16 SOURCES] The attacks targeted three churches and three hotels on 21 April 2019. wixx.com · wkzo.com · wsau.com · www.flash.gr · www.aftenposten.no · +11 more
[● 19 SOURCES] The 2019 Easter bombings killed 279 people. wixx.com · wkzo.com · wsau.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk · +14 more
[● 9 SOURCES] The court found both men guilty of criminal negligence for failing to act on intelligence warnings before the 2019 Easter bombings. english.gossiplankanews.com · srnnews.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · www.newswire.lk · +4 more
[● 19 SOURCES] Former police chief Pujith Jayasundara was sentenced to death for criminal negligence related to the 2019 Easter bombings. english.gossiplankanews.com · www.aftenposten.no · srnnews.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · +14 more
[● 19 SOURCES] Former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando was sentenced to death for criminal negligence related to the 2019 Easter bombings. english.gossiplankanews.com · www.aftenposten.no · srnnews.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · +14 more
[● 9 SOURCES] The court found the defendants guilty of failing to act on prior intelligence warnings. english.gossiplankanews.com · www.aftenposten.no · srnnews.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · +4 more
[● 19 SOURCES] Pujith Jayasundara was sentenced to death by the Permanent High Court Trial‑at‑Bar in Colombo. english.gossiplankanews.com · www.flash.gr · www.aftenposten.no · www.sabcnews.com · srnnews.com · +14 more