Sri Lanka sentences officials to death over bombing that killed Australians

A Sri Lankan court has delivered a death sentence to a former police chief and a former defense ministry official for their negligence in preventing the devastating 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The ruling marks a significant step in holding high-ranking officials accountable for the coordinated attacks that shook the nation.

The bombings, which targeted three churches and three luxury tourist hotels, resulted in the deaths of over 260 people and injured more than 500. Among the victims were two Australians, Manik Suriaaratchi and her 10-year-old daughter Alexendria, who were killed in a church explosion. These attacks remain the deadliest in Sri Lanka's recent history.

In a majority decision, the three-judge court found former police chief Pujith Jayasundara and former defense ministry secretary Hemasiri Fernando guilty of failing in their duties. The court heard evidence that an Indian intelligence agency had warned Sri Lankan authorities weeks prior about a potential suicide attack by Islamist extremists, but no adequate action was taken.

Jayasundara, 66, and Fernando, 76, have the right to appeal their sentences in the Supreme Court. They have been remanded in custody pending bail. Despite the death sentences, Sri Lanka has not executed anyone since 1976, making life imprisonment a more likely outcome. The two officials were previously acquitted of similar charges in 2022 but were later ordered to pay substantial damages to survivors in a civil action.