Appeals Court upholds death sentence on ‘Julampitiye Amare’

The Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentence given to Geeganagamage Amarasiri alias ‘Julampitiye Amare’ who was accused of shooting and killing of two persons at a JVP rally in June 2012.

This verdict was issued when an appeal filed by the accused through his attorneys, seeking an order to acquit and release him, was taken up before the two-member Appeals Court judge bench comprising Justices P. Kumaran and Sampath Abeykoon today (20).

On November 7, 2019, the Tangalle High Court sentenced ‘Julampitiye Amare’ to death over the Katuwana shooting incident in 2012 which killed two, while causing injuries to another person.

However, through his appeal, Geeganagamage Amarasiri alias ‘Julampitiye Amare’ had claimed that during the trial, the High Court judge did not take the evidence submitted by the defence into consideration.

Accordingly, the accused had requested the Appeals Court to acquit him from the relevant charges.

The Court of Appeal judges who heard the appeal stated that the court does not intend to interfere with the death sentence issued by the High Court Judge. Accordingly, the Appellate Court bench stated that the death sentence imposed on the accused will be upheld and the appeal dismissed.