A Sri Lankan court has handed down death sentences to a former police chief and a former Defence Ministry official, finding them guilty of criminal negligence in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The coordinated attacks, which targeted three hotels and three churches, resulted in the deaths of 260 people.

Former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were convicted by a three-member High Court bench in a 2-1 decision on Friday. The ruling came after the state appealed a 2022 decision that had acquitted the two men.

The court heard that intelligence agencies had provided warnings of a potential suicide attack prior to the bombings, but authorities failed to act on this information. A parliamentary committee had previously concluded that police and intelligence officials neglected repeated warnings about the impending attacks.

Lawyers for the convicted officials stated that they intend to appeal the ruling within two weeks, citing a dissenting judgment that highlighted the lack of motive and connection to the actual perpetrators. Under a previous civil action, Fernando and Jayasundara were ordered to pay substantial damages to survivors.

Sri Lanka-based groups with ISIL links were accused of carrying out the 2019 suicide bombings. Those directly involved in the attacks are reportedly deceased, and separate trials are ongoing for individuals allegedly connected to the perpetrators. The attacks claimed the lives of 279 people, including 45 foreigners, and injured over 500.

The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has suggested that the identified perpetrators were not the masterminds and that a larger conspiracy was behind the bombings. The country has maintained a moratorium on executions since 1976, meaning death sentences are typically commuted to life imprisonment. Government figures indicate that over 800 people are currently on death row.

This verdict represents a significant judicial development in the aftermath of one of Sri Lanka's most devastating attacks. The prosecution's success in securing convictions against high-ranking former officials for negligence underscores the importance of intelligence sharing and action.

Questions remain regarding the full extent of the conspiracy behind the bombings and the accountability of all parties involved. The appeals process will be closely watched, potentially shedding further light on the failures that preceded the tragic events of 2019.