The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that the charges against President Ranil Wickremesinghe over the April 21 Easter Sunday Attacks, a massacre that killed nearly 270 people three years ago during his tenure as the Prime Minister of the ‘Good Governance’ Regime, be dropped based on the immunity he is entitled to as the current Head of State.
The verdict was made by the Supreme Court Bench chaired by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.
Wickremesinghe was cited as a respondent to the cases filed in connection with the genocide accusing him as the then Premier of the ‘Good Governance’ Regime of failing to avert the bombings despite receiving intelligence.
Lawyers appearing for Wickremesinghe argued that he is entitled to presidential immunity given that he is the current Executive President of Sri Lanka, hence a request to drop the charges.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court ruled that the trial cannot be proceeded further against Wickremesinghe.
MIAP