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PersonConvictedIn custody

Hemasiri Fernando

The conviction mark reflects court convictions reported by the cited sources. Convictions can be appealed or overturned, and this entry may not show the latest position. The custody or bail mark follows the dated status line below and may be out of date.

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Details

Role

Defence Secretary at the time of the attacks

Flagged for

Convicted and sentenced to death on 31 July 2026 for failing to act on warnings; the sentence can be appealed

Status

Sentenced to death on 31 July 2026; reported by AFP on 1 August 2026 to be held in a maximum-security prison; his lawyer said he would appeal to the Supreme Court

Appears on

Easter attacks

Last checked

13 Oct 2026 (what this means)

Connections (4)

• Hemasiri Fernando / Ordered to pay Rs. 50 million by / Supreme Court judgment, 12 January 2023
  • Ordered to pay Rs. 50 million in compensation from personal funds.12 Jan 2023 · Ada Derana · Five including ex-President Maithirpala ordered to pay compensation to Easter attack victims
• Hemasiri Fernando / Sentenced to death by / Trial of security chiefs, verdict 31 July 2026
  • Found guilty over his failure to act on intelligence warnings ahead of the attacks, and given the same sentence as Jayasundara.31 Jul 2026 · Newswire · Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando also sentenced to death over Easter Sunday attacks
  • AFP: he and Pujith Jayasundara are being held in a maximum-security prison in the capital. Their lawyer said they would file an appeal in the Supreme Court within two weeks.1 Aug 2026 · AFP (via Ada Derana) · Pujith and Hemasiri to appeal against death penalty over Easter Sunday bombings
• Dappula de Livera / Directed criminal investigation of, May 2019 / Hemasiri FernandoAllegation
  • A criminal investigation led by a CID Superintendent of Police was under way, on the Attorney General’s instructions, into why he and Pujith Jayasundara failed to act on intelligence warnings.19 May 2019 · The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) · Former Defence Secretary and IGP face criminal charges
  • The Attorney General wrote to the acting police chief that they should be brought before a magistrate for “criminal negligence”. Fernando was arrested on 2 July 2019 while undergoing hospital treatment. Both men denied all the allegations.2 Jul 2019 · Al Jazeera · Sri Lanka police chief arrested over Easter attacks failures
• Hemasiri Fernando / Testified before, making allegations against the President / Parliamentary Select Committee on the Easter attacksAllegation
  • The article says he and Pujith Jayasundara testified before the committee on 6 June 2019 “making some allegations about the dereliction of duty on the part of the President”. It does not set the allegations out and carries no response from the President to them.8 Jun 2019 · Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka) · President disputes PSC probe
  • Al Jazeera: Jayasundara and Fernando accused President Sirisena of failing to follow established protocols in assessing threats to national security.2 Jul 2019 · Al Jazeera · Sri Lanka police chief arrested over Easter attacks failures