Former Sri Lankan police chief receives death sentence for 2019 Easter bomb negligence

A Sri Lankan court in Colombo sentenced former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara to death, citing criminal negligence that enabled the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings which claimed more than 260 lives. The attacks, inspired by Islamic State, struck three tourist hotels and three churches, including two Catholic and one Protestant sites, and killed 42 foreign nationals. A parliamentary committee had earlier determined that police and intelligence agencies ignored repeated warnings.

While the death penalty technically remains on the books, Sri Lanka has observed an informal execution moratorium since 1976, a stance backed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Jayasundara retains the right to appeal before a three-member High Court bench, and a related judgment on former Defence Ministry secretary Hemasiri Fernando was slated for later that day. Ongoing trials target individuals linked to the bombers, but the Sri Lankan Catholic Church argues that the identified perpetrators are not the true masterminds, hinting at a broader plot.