A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison after a federal prosecutor said his crime was unacceptable “in this country or anywhere.”

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pronounced Ryan Routh’s fate in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that erupted into chaos in September when he tried to stab himself shortly after jurors found him guilty on all counts.

“American democracy does not work when individuals take it into their own hands to eliminate candidates. That’s what this individual tried to do” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley told the judge.

Defense attorney Martin L. Roth argued that “at the moment of truth, he chose not to pull the trigger.”

The judge pushed back, noting Routh’s history of arrests, to which Roth said, “He’s a complex person, I’ll give the court that, but he has a very good core.”

Routh then read from a rambling, 20-page statement. Cannon broke in, said none of what he was saying was relevant and gave him five more minutes to talk.

“I did everything I could and lived a good life,” Routh said, before the judge cut him off.

“Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil,” she said. “You are not a peaceful man. You are not a good man.”

She then issued his sentence: Life without parole, plus seven years on a gun charge. His sentences for his other three crimes will run concurrently. In a statement on the social platform X, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi thanked prosecutors for ensuring that Routh “will never walk free again.”

“Ryan Routh’s heinous attempted assassination of President Trump was not only an attack on our President — it was a direct assault against our entire democratic system,” Bondi said.

Routh’s sentencing was initially scheduled for December. But Cannon agreed to move it back after Routh decided to use an attorney during the sentencing phase, instead of representing himself as he did for most of the trial. (AssociatedPress)

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A complaint has been lodged with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) concerning the circulation of a false report on social media, alleging that MP Namal Rajapaksa was involved in planning a personal assassination.

A group of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) members filed the complaint with the CID this morning.

Speaking to the media, one SLPP member said that false information on MP Namal Rajapaksa was being circulated on YouTube.

“The YouTube channel claims that MP Namal Rajapaksa is planning to assassinate an individual currently in remand custody, using underworld links for the SLPP to regain power. We strongly refute these false claims,” he said. 

The SLPP member further said that the YouTube channel is being operated from overseas, pointing out that it was an attempt to slander the SLPP and its members. 

He added that a complaint has been filed with the CID requesting a comprehensive investigation into the matter. (Newswire)

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Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles has ordered an immediate probe into the alleged assassination attempt on Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, it was reported.

According to Lankadeepa newspaper, the directive has been issued to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has received an order to conduct a comprehensive investigation into a letter from an informant claiming that plans were underway to assassinate the Magistrate using a T81 grenade launcher.

The informant has also claimed that an individual had requested this firearm over the phone to kill the Magistrate.

The telephone number of the individual who had made the telephone call for the firearm has also been mentioned in the informant’s letter. (NewsWire)

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Santhan alias T Suthendiraraja, a Sri Lankan national who was one of the six convicts released in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, died on Wednesday morning at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital (RGGH) in Chennai.

According to Indian media, The Indian Express, Santhan, who was released by the Supreme Court in November 2022, was kept at the special camp near the Tiruchirapalli Central Prison.

Last week, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Chennai issued an order to deport Santhan to Sri Lanka; however, he was admitted to the RGGH for treatment for a kidney-related ailment.

Addressing the reports, E Thenirajan, Dean, RGGH, said that based on the directions of the Tiruchirapalli district collector, Santhan was admitted to the hospital on January 27. Thenirajan said a team of doctors were treating him at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and constantly monitoring him. He said Santhan was diagnosed with cryptogenic cirrhosis or a liver disease.

“He suffered a setback to his health yesterday (Tuesday) night. He had lost consciousness and we were providing treatment. Around 4.30 am today (Wednesday), he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was revived following a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) procedure and was on ventilator support. However, he failed to respond to further treatment and passed away at 7.50 am,” he said.

Thenirajan said they would carry out the post-mortem procedures now and take further measures to send his body to Sri Lanka.

According to court documents, Santhan is believed to have fled then strife-torn Sri Lanka in 1991 and reached India by boat, along with Sivarasan, who led the assassination team and was never caught alive, and a few others. According to the Supreme Court order, Santhan’s role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was direct and active.

Santhan was initially sentenced to death for his involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, however, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He was released in November 2022, along with five other convicts, after spending over three decades in prison. (Indian Express)

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Former Terrorist Investigations Division (TID) DIG Nalaka de Silva has been released from the case on the alleged VIP assassination plot in 2019.

The former DIG was freed from the case by the Fort Magistrate’s Court after the Attorney General informed that evidence against the accused was insufficient to support the case.

Nalaka de Silva was arrested and remanded in 2018 over the alleged plot to kill the then President Maithripala Sirisena and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

At the time, the Criminal Investigations Department had informed the court that there was evidence to prove Nalaka de Silva was linked to the alleged assassination plot. (NewsWire)

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The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has been ordered to launch a probe into the leak of an internal Police message pertaining to the security arrangements for the return of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to Sri Lanka.

The directive has been issued by Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, instructing the CID to arrest those responsible for the leak.

Issuing a statement, the Ministry of Public Security dismissed rumours circulating on social media about an alleged assassination attempt on the President, claiming that the rumours were entirely false.

“Standard security measures and procedures are in place for the departure and return of the President or Prime Minister during official foreign visits, which have also been implemented during the President’s current visit. These measures are routine and part of the normal and customary procedure,” the Ministry statement said.

However, the leak of the internal message caused a significant uproar on social media platforms, prompting the Public Security Minister to instruct the CID to conduct an investigation and arrest those responsible for the leak. 

President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in Sri Lanka today after concluding his visits to the United Kingdom followed by France, where he attended the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris. (NewsWire)

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The Colombo High Court has released from all charges a former LTTE cadre accused of attempting to assassinate former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his tenure as Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka. 

Sivalingam Aaruran, an engineer, was in remand for 17 years over charges of having been involved in planning an assassination attempt via a suicide bomb attack on Rajapaksa at Pittala Junction in Colpetty. 

However, Colombo High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe released the accused from all charges when the case was taken up for hearing yesterday (May 16).

The Solicitor General informed the court that there was no other evidence against the accused apart from a statement made before Assistant Superintendent of Police Sisil de Silva.

Taking into consideration the facts presented by the Solicitor General, the court ordered the accused to be released from all charges related to the case. (NewsWire) 

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