Sri Lanka’s former police chief and defence ministry bureaucrat sentenced to death over 2019 Easter Sunday attack
Colombo High Court sentenced former Sri Lanka police chief Pujith Jayasundera and defence ministry bureaucrat Hemasiri Fernando to death over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
GS3GS2The HinduGS3Sri Lanka Easter Sunday attack (2019)Counter-terrorism and criminal justiceJudiciary and due process
What happened
Sri Lanka’s Colombo High Court sentenced Pujith Jayasundera (former police chief) and Hemasiri Fernando (then senior defence ministry bureaucrat) to death over the 2019 Easter Sunday attack.
The High Court found Jayasundera and Fernando guilty of criminal dereliction of duty (criminal failure to perform a duty in a way that attracts criminal liability) for failing to act on prior intelligence that could have helped prevent the bombings.
The High Court stated that Jayasundera and Fernando can appeal to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and ordered them to remain in judicial custody until bail is granted.
The 2019 Easter Sunday attack involved coordinated suicide bombings across churches and luxury hotels on April 19, 2019. The reported death toll is 279 people (also described as “more than 270”).
