Easter Sunday Attack Cases: Verdicts Against Former Defence Secretary and IGP Set for July 31

The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has scheduled July 31 as the date to deliver verdicts in two landmark criminal cases connected to the devastating Easter Sunday attacks of April 2019, which claimed the lives of more than 260 people across churches and hotels in Sri Lanka.

Accused Officials at the Centre of the Cases

The two individuals facing judgement are former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara. Both men held the country's most senior security positions at the time of the coordinated suicide bombings, and both have been accused of failing to act on intelligence warnings that could have prevented the carnage.

The cases against the two former officials have drawn significant public attention, as families of victims and civil society groups have long demanded accountability from those in authority who allegedly neglected credible advance warnings about a planned terrorist strike.

Background to the Charges

Prior to the attacks on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, intelligence reports had reportedly been circulated among senior officials warning of an imminent threat by the Islamist extremist group National Thowheed Jamath. Critics and investigators have alleged that both Fernando and Jayasundara failed to take adequate preventive measures despite receiving these warnings.

The bombings targeted three churches — St. Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, and Zion Church in Batticaloa — as well as three luxury hotels in Colombo. The death toll, which exceeded 260, included a number of foreign nationals, sending shockwaves across the island and the international community.

A Long-Awaited Day of Reckoning

The Trial-at-Bar, a special court format reserved for complex and high-profile cases in Sri Lanka, has been hearing evidence in both matters over an extended period. The fixing of July 31 as verdict day marks a significant step toward judicial closure in one of the most painful chapters of modern Sri Lankan history.

For the families of those killed and injured in the blasts, the upcoming verdicts represent a moment they have been awaiting for over six years — one that many hope will bring at least a measure of justice, regardless of the outcome.

The proceedings are expected to attract wide public and media scrutiny when the court reconvenes on July 31 to announce its findings.

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