Sri Lanka sentences two to death over 2019 Easter bombings

COLOMBO, July 31 (AFP): A Sri Lanka court sentenced two ex-security officials to death on Friday for failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people including 45 foreigners.

In a majority decision, a three-judge bench ruled that former police chief Pujith Jayasundara and former defence ministry secretary Hemasiri Fernando failed in their duties to stop the deadly attacks, blamed on a homegrown Islamist extremist group.

Jayasundara, 66, and Fernando, 76, can appeal against the sentence in the Supreme Court, but have been remanded to judicial custody until granted bail.

Sri Lanka has not carried out the death sentence since 1976, maintaining an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment.