Overview
- A three-judge Permanent Trial-at-Bar in Colombo on July 31, 2026 convicted Pujith Jayasundara and Hemasiri Fernando of criminal dereliction of duty and sentenced both to death for failing to prevent the April 2019 bombings.
- The court said the pair ignored repeated intelligence warnings, including a April 4, 2019 alert from an Indian agency about a possible suicide attack that targeted three churches and three hotels.
- The verdict was a majority 2–1 decision with one judge issuing a dissenting acquittal and both defendants have announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.
- Sri Lanka has not executed anyone since 1976 so death sentences are normally commuted to long prison terms, making the sentences likely to be legally and politically contested even if upheld.
- The ruling deepens public scrutiny of security institutions after the attacks that killed more than 260 people and could prompt further legal probes and policy changes as the Supreme Court reviews the case.