Amarakeerthi Athukorala

Amarakeerthi Athukorala
අමරකීර්ති අතුකෝරල
அமரகீர்த்தி அதுகோரள
Member of Parliament
for Polonnaruwa District
In office
20 August 2020 – 9 May 2022
Personal details
Born(1964-12-23)23 December 1964
Ceylon
Died9 May 2022(2022-05-09) (aged 57)
Nittambuwa, Sri Lanka
PartySri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Other political
affiliations		Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance

Amarakeerthi Athukorala (23 December 1964 – 9 May 2022) was a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Podujana Peramuna in the Sri Lankan parliament from Polonnaruwa Electoral District.[1][2][3]

Early life

Athukorala was born on 23 December 1964 in Ceylon. Details about his education and early career are limited in public sources.[4]

Political career

Athukorala served as a Member of Parliament for the Polonnaruwa District. He was affiliated with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and also associated with the Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance.[4]

Death

On 9 May 2022, Athukorala was traveling through Nittambuwa with his police security officer during widespread violence linked to the 2022 Sri Lankan protests protests. Protesters blocked his vehicle, leading to a confrontation. Reports state that shots were fired, injuring two people. Athukorala and his security officer fled and sought refuge in a nearby building, where they were later attacked and killed by a mob.[5]

In June 2023, the Attorney General of Sri Lanka filed indictments against 41 individuals in connection with the killings. On 11 February 2026, twelve individuals were sentenced to death by a trial-at-bar of the Gampaha High Court for the murder of Athukorala and his security officer. Four defendants received suspended prison sentences, while 23 others were acquitted.[6][7] Capital punishment in Sri Lanka has not been enforced since 23 June 1976.

Legacy

Athukorala’s death became one of the most high-profile incidents of violence during the Aragalaya protests. The case highlighted the intensity of public anger against government figures at the time, as well as the legal system’s reliance on CCTV, DNA, and facial recognition evidence in securing convictions.[8]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka" (PDF). Sri Lankan Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Hon. Amarakeerthi Athukorala, M.P." Sri Lankan Parliament. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  3. ^ "SLPP MP claims Basil is a leader with 7 brains". NewsHub.lk. 3 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Amarakeerthi Athukorala". Sri Lankan politician profile. Archived from the original on 15 June 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  5. ^ "Amarakeerthi Athukorala killed during Aragalaya unrest". Newsfirst. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  6. ^ "12 sentenced to death over ex-MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala's murder". Ada Derana. 11 February 2026. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  7. ^ Farzan, Zulfick (11 February 2026). "16 Guilty, 12 Given Death Penalty in MP Athukorala Murder Trial, 23 others Acquitted". Newsfirst. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Verdict in Amarakeerthi Athukorala trial". News 1st. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.


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