Sri Lanka court convicts 2022 protest activists for murder

Sri Lanka court convicts 16 activists for a 2022 murder, with 12 receiving death sentences amid ongoing political turmoil.

A court in western Sri Lanka on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) convicted 16 of the 41 suspects who were indicted for the murder of a ruling party parliamentarian and his protection officer in 2022.

Of them, 12 were handed death sentences by a three-member bench of the high court in the western town of Gampaha in a split decision. Four other suspects were served suspended prison terms.

Amarakeerthi Athukorala, the then ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Perumana (SLPP) MP, and his protection officer Jayantha Gunawardena were brutally assaulted to death when their vehicle was waylaid by a mob while he was proceeding to his constituency in the north central region of Polonnaruwa on May 9, 2022.

The same day, the country erupted into massive demonstrations when the protesters who had been peacefully demanding the resignation of the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to be attacked by mobs led by ruling party politicians.

The protesters then led a counter punch attacking the ruling party supporters. Homes of nearly 100 ruling party members were set on fire.

Mr Rajapaksa resigned two months later as the country was reeling in its worst economic crisis. Urgent economic assistance from India and an IMF bail out later restored normalcy.