Sri Lanka: Ex-Police Chief, Defense Secretary Sentenced to Death Over 2019 Easter Bombings

A Sri Lankan court has sentenced two former high-ranking officials to death for criminal negligence related to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The former police chief, Pujith Jayasundara, 66, and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, 76, were found guilty of failing to prevent the devastating attacks.

The coordinated bombings on April 21, 2019, struck three luxury hotels, two Roman Catholic churches, and an evangelical church outside Colombo. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 279 people, including 45 foreign nationals, making it the deadliest assault on civilians in Sri Lanka's history. Domestic jihadi groups were blamed for the violence.

Subsequent investigations by a Sri Lankan parliamentary committee uncovered that police and intelligence officials had received multiple warnings about impending attacks. However, these warnings were not acted upon, leading to the catastrophic loss of life. The court's decision holds these former officials accountable for their dereliction of duty.

While Sri Lanka has unofficially suspended the death penalty since 1976, and the current president also supports the moratorium, a death sentence typically translates to life imprisonment. The convicted officials have the right to appeal the court's ruling.