A Presidential Pardon has been posthumously awarded to Diyunuge Edward Henry Pedris, who was executed on July 7, 1915, following an unjust trial by a Court-Martial appointed by the then Governor of Ceylon on June 25, 1915.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, utilizing the powers vested in him under Article 33(h) and Article 34 of the Constitution issued the pardon seeking to rectify the wrongful execution of Pedris, who was unjustly accused of rioting and treason.

In December 2023, a three-member committee led by retired Supreme Court Judge Anil Gooneratne was appointed to review the circumstances of Pedris’ execution, and submit a report with recommendations to the Cabinet, in order to deliver justice to Pedris and his family. (Newswire)

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The Cabinet has approved the appointment of a 03-member committee to investigate the killing of Edward Henry Pedris 108 years ago by a decision of the colonial court-martial.

The government said Edward Henry Pedris, who was 27 years of age at the time, was brought before a military court and convicted of treason by the British colonial administration of Sri Lanka accusing him of rioting and treason against the government, and in 1915 he was sentenced to death ignoring all appeals. 

The body of the late Henry Pedris has been cremated at an undisclosed location following the procedure prescribed for the cremation of a convicted criminal under martial law.

However, later it was revealed that he was killed as a result of a plan carried out by the senior officials who ruled the country at that time. 

Therefore, the Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by the President to appoint a three-member committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge, Anil Gunarathna to investigate the killing.

The committee has been tasked with finding information related to the killing of Edward Henry Pedris, studying the relevant matters and submitting a report with recommendations to the Cabinet in order to bring justice to him. 

According to Sri Lankan history, Duenuge Edward Henry Pedris was a Ceylonese militia officer and a prominent socialite. 

Pedris was executed for treason by the 17th Punjab Regiment of the British Indian Army under martial law during the 1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots. 

Convicted in a three-day Field General Court Martial under the terms of the Army Act, bypassing the local legal system, his execution was viewed as unjust by the local population and a warning to local leaders. (NewsWire)

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