Sri Lanka
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist de facto
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Capital crimes are: murder, causing an innocent person...
- News items in the archive
- 354
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Sri Lanka is classified as Abolitionist de facto in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 354 news items on Sri Lanka, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
SEPTEMBER 5, 2022Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: PRESIDENT INFORMS THE SUPREME COURT THAT HE WILL NOT SIGN THE DEATH SENTENCES
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 31 August 2022 informed the Supreme Court through the Attorney General that he will not sign the implementation of the death penalty.
- JULY 3, 2022Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: SIX PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH 22 YEARS AFTER FIVE PEOPLE WERE SHOT DEAD IN 2000
Six people on 30 June 2022 were sentenced to death after they were convicted of murdering five people in Devinuawara in 2000.
JANUARY 12, 2022Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: PRISON CHIEF GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR MASSACRE
A top Sri Lankan prison official was sentenced to death on 12 January 2022 over the killing of 27 inmates in an execution-style massacre that attracted international condemnation.
DECEMBER 14, 2021Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: CABINET NOD TO AMEND CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ON DEATH SENTENCE FOR MINORS
Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved a proposal to amend Section 281 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to remove any uncertainty over not pronouncing the death sentence on any minor.
DECEMBER 13, 2021Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: KALUTARA HIGH COURT GIVES DEATH SENTENCE TO FIVE PERSONS
The Kalutara High Court on 13 December 2021 sentenced five persons to death.
JULY 1, 2021Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: DEATH ROW PRISONERS END HUNGER STRIKE
Death row prisoners in Sri Lanka, who were on a hunger strike demanding commutation of their sentences, similar to the Presidential pardon extended to a former parliamentarian facing capital punishment earlier in the week, have ended their protest after o
- JUNE 25, 2021Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: DEATH ROW INMATES PROTEST EX-LAWMAKER'S PARDON
About 150 death row inmates were on a hunger strike on 25 June 2021 to demand their sentences be commuted after Sri Lanka’s president pardoned a former lawmaker who had been condemned for an election-related killing.
FEBRUARY 13, 2021Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: STAY ORDER ON DEATH PENALTY EXTENDED
The Supreme Court on 11 February 2021 extended the stay order on the decision by former President Maithripala Sirisena to implement the death penalty on four drug convicts.
DECEMBER 17, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Five members of the same family were sentenced to death by Homagama High Court Judge Damith Thotawatte on 15 December 2020.
- OCTOBER 18, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: SUPREME COURT EXTENDS STAY ORDER ON RE-IMPOSITION OF DEATH PENALTY
The Supreme Court on 14 October 2020 extended till 28 October 2020 the stay order issued earlier on the re-imposition of death penalty on murder convicts.
AUGUST 5, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER OF DAUGHTER
Nuwara Eliya High Court on 4 August 2020 sentenced a man to death for the murder of his three and half year old daughter.
AUGUST 3, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: SLPP RATHNAPURA DISTRICT CANDIDATE PREMALAL JAYASEKARA AND TWO OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Former MP, SLPP (Sri Lanka People's Front) candidate from Rathnapura district, Premalal Jayasekara and two others on 31 July 2020 were sentenced to death over a fatal shooting incident during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s campaign in Kahawatta in the run
JULY 4, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: NIGERIAN NATIONAL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Colombo High Court on 3 July 2020 sentenced a Nigerian national to death for possession and trafficking of cocaine.
JUNE 18, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR ‘KUDU THILAN’
Dewage Thusitha Chamara alias ‘Kudu Thilan’ who was found guilty for possessing and peddling over 270 grams of heroin, was on 18 June 2020 sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court.
- JUNE 11, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: FOUR SUSPECTS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER BY KALUTARA HC
The Kalutara High Court on 11 June 2020 handed down the death sentence on four suspects proven guilty of murder.
- MARCH 28, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: PRESIDENT PARDONS SOLDIER WHO KILLED TAMIL CIVILIANS
Sri Lanka's president on 26 March 2020 pardoned and released an army officer sentenced to death for slitting the throats of Tamil civilians, including four children, during the island's bloody ethnic war.
FEBRUARY 17, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: THREE ACCUSED IN MURDER CASE SENTENCED TO DEATH
Colombo High Court on 13 February 2020 sentenced three accused to death for killing a person.
- JANUARY 8, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: JUSTICE MINISTER BACKS DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG SMUGGLERS
Justice Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has backed a proposal to implement the death penalty for drug smugglers.
- JANUARY 1, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes are: murder, causing an innocent person
Capital crimes are: murder, causing an innocent person
- DECEMBER 17, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR HEROIN PEDDLER
A youth was sentenced to death on 13 December 2019 by the Colombo High Court after being found guilty for possessing and peddling 25.77grams of heroin.
- DECEMBER 16, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: TWO FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER SENTENCED TO DEATH
The Colombo High Court sentenced to death two accused after they were found guilty of hacking to death a 17-year-old boy in 2001, News First reported on 12 December 2019.
DECEMBER 13, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: DRUG TRAFFICKER KALU THUSHARA SENTENCED TO DEATH
Drug trafficker “Kalu Thushara” was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court on 10 December 2019.
DECEMBER 11, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: SUPREME COURT EXTENDS STAY ORDER AGAINST IMPLEMENTING DEATH PENALTY
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on 9 December 2019 extended the interim order staying the implementation of the death penalty on the prisoners who were sentenced to death for drug offenses until 20 March.
- NOVEMBER 29, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: 35-YEAR-OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
A 35-year-old man was sentenced to death by Colombo High Court Judge Dhammika Ganepola for hacking to death a youth down Station Road in Ratmalana, News First reported on 28 November 2019.
NOVEMBER 13, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: MAN CONVICTED FOR POSSESSING DRUGS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A person who was convicted for the possession of 200g 600mg of heroin was sentenced to death on 11 November 2019.
NOVEMBER 11, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: DEATH SENTENCE IMPOSED ON JULAMPITIYE AMARE
The Tangalle High Court on 8 November 2019 imposed the death sentence on ‘Julampitiye Amare' over the Katuwana shooting incident in 2012.
- NOVEMBER 11, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: PRESIDENT SIRISENA GRANTS PARDON TO ROYAL PARK MURDER CONVICT ON DEATH ROW
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena in the final week of his term in office has pardoned a death row prisoner who was convicted of a murder of a Swedish teenager in 2005, local media reported on 9 November 2019.
- NOVEMBER 8, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: ACCUSED SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER
A man found guilty of killing his wife and two children in 2012 was sentenced to death on 7 November 2019.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: SUPREME COURT EXTENDS STAY ON DEATH PENALTY
Sri Lanka' s Supreme Court on 29 October 2019 effectively blocked a plan by the president to bring back hangings for the first time since 1976 before he leaves office next month.
NOVEMBER 4, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: FATHER OF 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR POSSESSING HEROIN
A 38-year-old father of two on 30 October 2019 was sentenced to capital punishment by the Colombo High Court, over charges of possession of heroin.